


A Burning Need

by sagely_sea



Series: We Burn Brighter Than the Stars [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Knotting, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Sex, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Not Quite Human!Shiro, Not defined as Alpha/Omega but definitely there, Pining Keith (Voltron), Post-Season/Series 07, Rut, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, alien puberty, clone body, talk of mpreg, the sex talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 16:17:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 39,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16559018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagely_sea/pseuds/sagely_sea
Summary: Keith can't seem to focus on anything but Shiro. Kolivan notices and sends Keith to his mother for the Galra Sex Talk. But before they can get very far, Voltron is needed.Back from the fight and unable to resist, Keith makes his move on a willing Shiro. It's instincts over common sense and education as they spend the night together and discover just what it means when Keith goes into rut.---Keith's rut brings to light Shiro's interesting DNA and even more questions about the clones and just what happened to them. And what does all of this mean for Shiro and Keith's budding relationship?





	1. Burning Need

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a short pwp having fun with some ABO tropes. But things got out of hand... Still, I had fun exploring a bit of Galra what-ifs for their biology and how things on Atlas may work.

Keith’s eyes tracked Shiro as he walked into the hangar to talk to the MFE pilots there. Keith was up on one of the upper walkways and was in theory making his way from the meeting Voltron had just had with Shiro to his room to change into training clothes but had somehow found himself here.

The last couple of days, he had found his eyes drifting to Shiro and a desire to be near him. None of which was exactly new but normally he could still focus on his own work. But right now, he found his desire to train paled in comparison to his desire to memorize the lines of Shiro’s strong body as he stood with the pilots and spoke with them. 

Shiro’s new uniform was tailored perfectly to his body and it made Keith’s hands itch with the desire to run along the smooth crisp edges of the jacket and across Shiro’s wide chest. It was almost unfair that Shiro could be so large and muscular when Keith worked just as hard to train but stayed lithe and built for speed.

Not that he really minded. There was something about being pulled in tight against that hard chest and cradled by strong muscular arms that made Keith feel safe. Shiro was amazing at providing the feeling of safety and security and his hugs felt like home. Keith gave a wistful sigh and wondered when the next time he could have a nice solid Shiro hug would be. 

Or maybe more than a hug. He couldn’t stop his thoughts from sliding into more dangerous territory as Shiro turned his back to him and he could take in the shape of his firm ass as he bent over to look at an area on the ship an MFE pilot was talking about. He wanted to grip those firm globes in his hands. Maybe lean in and give them a playful bite. Or a not so playful bite.

Only if Shiro liked that sort of thing, of course. Because Shiro deserved to be spoiled and pampered both in and out of bed. Shiro spent so much time and energy making sure everyone else on the team was not only doing okay but that they thrived. That they all had what they needed to reach their full potential even if they didn’t know what that was. Like always encouraging Keith to focus and believe in his leadership abilities. He would never have imagined himself leading a team before he had gone into space. And he could only do it now because of Shiro’s support. 

But Shiro wasn’t just supporting Voltron anymore. He was supporting everyone on Atlas. And he also looked out for the well being of everyone in the Garrison, the Voltron Coalition, and somehow had even become involved with piecing Earth back together. 

Basically, Shiro was amazing and deserved to have someone take away his worries and make him relax and feel loved. Keith was certainly up to the challenge. He would love to place tender kisses all over Shiro and then strip him out of his uniform and lay him down on a soft bed. Maybe torment him with pleasure until he was begging for Keith to take him. To breed him. 

He blinked at his own thoughts. Daydreaming about the many ways he wanted to make out with Shiro and what they could do together naked was by no means a new thing. But the strong desire he had to make Shiro so desperate for him. To breed him… that certainly was. 

It wasn’t such a horrible thought though. And it’s not like they really had to worry about being safe. They were both guys. And the Garrison had given them thorough medical checks after the battle to free the Earth from Galra rule. Not to mention the Altean healing pods would have long since cleansed their systems of anything if they did have something. 

And Keith was pretty sure that Shiro hadn’t been with anyone since those things. Though the way everyone stared at Shiro as if he hung the stars, Shiro’s empty bed wasn’t from lack of options. And that thought made a low growl start to form in his chest. If anyone had been in Shiro’s bed, they had better pray that Keith never found out. 

“Keith.” The smooth even toned voice calling his name had him whipping his attention guiltily away from Shiro and to Kolivan who had somehow moved right beside him without him noticing. Had his thoughts drifted that much? 

“Kolivan,” Keith said. Trying very hard not to salute. A few weeks back at the Garrison and it seemed like all of the ingrained military training had come rushing back. And there was no way that Keith couldn’t see Kolivan as a superior officer worthy of that show of respect. 

“I thought we were meeting to train with the Blades,” He said. 

“We are. We still have time before we’re supposed to-” Keith cut himself off as Kolivan held up a datapad that showed it was twenty minutes after their agreed upon meeting time. Surely that wasn’t right. He brought up his own data pad and checked the time and it read the same as Kolivans. 

Oh.

That was embarrassing. He hadn’t realized he had gotten that distracted watching Shiro speak with the MFE pilots and look over the jets. And just thinking of Shiro had his eyes drifting back over to him. As helpless as the planets caught in the sun’s orbit, Keith couldn’t resist the pull. 

There was a low chuckle beside him and he glanced for just a moment at Kolivan in question. 

“I think I’ll handle training on my own today. You should speak with your mother.” 

“Krolia?” Keith asked surprised. “Why? Is she okay?” He may not be comfortable calling her mom yet but he still loved her and hoped to keep her in his life for as long as he could. 

“She’s fine. But I think you two need to talk.”

“Talk? Why?” Keith was starting to feel like that he and Kolivan were having two different conversations. And why was James smiling that widely at Shiro? And of course Shiro would give him a friendly pat on his arm. That was just what Shiro did. He was tactile and friendly like that. But that didn’t give suck it up perfect cadet James permission to make such sappy eyes at him in return. Keith wondered if they had any other pilots in the Garrison that could replace James if he had to spend a few months recovering in the medbay. 

“Keith.” 

The stern tone had him startling and looking back over at Kolivan. He’d forgotten they were talking. 

“Your eyes are yellow.”

Oh. that meant that his emotions were getting the better of him. And when he looked down, he wasn’t surprised to see that his nails were darker and more claw-like, too. 

“Go find your mother. She should be in the offices the Blades have been given.” Kolivan reached out and took Keith’s shoulders and bodily turned him away from Shiro and all but marched him off the walkway and back into the main ship. 

Once Shiro was no longer in the room, Keith found it easier to focus though he’d much rather find Shiro again than go find his mom. But one look at Kolivan told Keith that if he tried that then Kolivan would probably just toss him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and drag him to the Blades offices. Not something he wanted. Especially when he was trying to build a reputation as the fierce and competent leader of Voltron. 

And if he wanted to be the perfect partner for the Captain of Atlas, being the well respected and admired leader of Voltron was a good start. 

So with perhaps heavier steps than necessary, he marched his way down the halls to find his mother to talk about whatever Kolivan thought they needed to talk about. He hoped Krolia knew. Because he was clueless. 

 

-0-0-0-

“Keith, are you okay?” Krolia asked as she moved to greet him. Clearly, Kolivan had messaged her to expect him since she’d been waiting for him just inside the group of rooms that the Blades had taken over for their headquarters on Atlas. 

Keith wanted to feel annoyed by Kolivan fussing and getting his mother involved in it. But mostly Keith just felt loved. “I’m fine. I’ve just been a bit distracted.” And it was all Shiro’s fault for daring to look so good in a military uniform. And something about the white hair just made his eyes all the more like deep pools that Keith wanted to lose himself in. 

“With Atlas’ captain,” Krolia said. 

Keith couldn’t - wouldn’t - deny that. So he shrugged instead. 

Krolia sighed and then stepped back from Keith and gestured him through the room to Kolivan’s office. Keith hesitated just a moment at the doorway but surely if Krolia was dragging him in here, then they had permission. 

Once he was inside the room, Krolia closed and locked the door to ensure their privacy and then led Keith over to the couch. 

Keith supposed that this might be awkward if he hadn’t spent two years in very close quarters with his mother and only each other and Kosmo for company. They’d learned a lot about each other then and had come to easily accept the other in their space or to patiently wait it out and be comfortable with silences. 

So instead of fidgeting, Keith just relaxed back on the couch and waited for Krolia to share whatever it is she and Kolivan thought he needed to know. The only thing stopping him from truly enjoying time with his mother was the fact that he could be using this time to see what Shiro was doing. Was he still with the pilots? Had he gone back to the bridge? 

Maybe some brave Garrison engineers had cornered him to ask him questions about his connection with Atlas and new changes they’d found to the ship. Keith could just imagine the way Shiro would smile softly at them and answer their questions the best he could. He was no Pidge or Hunk, but Shiro was impressive and could hold his own in talks of engineering and ship design as long as things didn’t get too technical. And Shiro loved talking about Atlas. 

“Keith,” Krolia said. 

Keith startled. That was becoming a bad habit of his. He didn’t know why his mother needed to say his name that loudly when they were sitting right here. “What?” He asked. 

She sighed and Keith had a feeling that maybe that wasn’t the first time she had called his name to get his attention. Keith glanced over at the clock and realized he’d been fantasizing about Shiro for nearly ten minutes. How did he keep losing time to Shiro like this without even noticing? Not only was it embarrassing but it was dangerous. He couldn’t afford the distractions. They’d left the relative safety of Earth and were working on bringing the fight to the Empire. He had to focus. 

“I have to apologize. We had two years together when we could have had this talk but I just assumed that with how strong your human genes were that you wouldn’t have to worry about this. I suppose I forgot how dominant Galra genes always are in the end.” Krolia reached out to tuck some of Keith’s hair behind his ears and Keith allowed it, even leaned into it slightly. 

“I don’t get what you’re trying to tell me,” He said. It was easy to guess that Kolivan and Krolia thought Keith’s distractions were caused by something in his Galra heritage, Keith still had no idea what it was or how to fix it. 

“Galra live a long time. And so we reach different stages of… maturity at different times than other species,” Krolia said. And Keith suddenly realized that his fearless and stoic mother was uncomfortable with whatever they were talking about. Was it only because she thought she had failed him when they hadn’t talked about this on a space whale? 

“Okay… so I’m going through a Galra growth spurt?” Keith would be okay with putting up with some lost time for a few days if it meant he could put on some more height or fill out a bit more. He’d grown during his time in space but he was still small next to the other Blades. Shiro still dwarfed him though it wasn’t quite as bad as it used to be. 

“A little. You’re going to notice some changes and it’s hard to know how strongly they’ll affect you but it seems some things will be quite similar to what all Galra go through.”

“Am I going to turn purple or grow a tail?” He wasn’t against purple or a tail or any other Galra features really. But he was used to looking human and it would definitely take a long time to get used to looking so drastically different. 

And a small part of his mind worried that if he looked too Galra that he might scare Shiro. Not in the day to day, of course. Shiro worked incredibly well with their Galra allies and had always been willing to give the Galra a chance to prove themselves instead of distrusting them instinctively like Allura did. And Shiro had just as much of a right to distrust and hate the Galra as Allura did even if Shiro said most of his memories of that time were still lost to him. 

But Keith thought that Shiro remembered more than he’d admit. At least subconsciously since Shiro had nightmares. He knew that Shiro tried to keep the others from knowing about them but the Castle Ship had only been so soundproof and there was no way to hide nightmares when sharing close quarters on a Lion. But Keith saw no shame in them. Shiro was a survivor. Not only that but everything Shiro suffered through seemed to make him stronger. 

Stronger, wiser, and somehow more understanding of the universe. It was amazing and inspiring. Keith was pretty sure everything he survived through and his accompanying nightmares just made him extra grumpy in the morning. 

And Keith was sure that his nightmares weren’t nearly as bad as the ones that Shiro faced on what seemed a near nightly basis. Keith had witnessed ones that sunk their claws into Shiro’s mind and tormented him without letting him wake as well as ones that caused Shiro to bolt upright with a scream caught in his throat and a cold sweat covering him as he tried to catch his breath. 

Keith’s heart broke at both and wished he could always be there to soothe Shiro’s fears and mind and reassure him that he was safe. Tell him that he would slaughter anyone who would dare threaten him while he was safe in his nest and sleeping.

Keith paused in his thoughts. Nest? He’d heard other Galra talk about nests instead of beds at times but clearly, he’d been spending too much time with his Blades brethren if such words were sneaking into his mind. 

And he realized his thoughts of Shiro had caused his mind to start drifting again.

He just needed to know if he would look too Galra to be able to help Shiro with his nightmares. He doubted Shiro wanted to wake up from a nightmare of being tormented by the Empire to see a Galran face leaning over him. Shiro was strong, brave, and so forgiving but Keith doubted he could handle a Galra in his bed after a nightmare. 

“I doubt you’ll grow a tail. It doesn’t seem to be a trait in our line anymore,” Kroila said encouragingly and brushed back more strands of hair. “Your eyes, teeth, and hands already change at times. I wonder if that might become permanent… but I think you’ll always look more human than Galran.” 

Keith could live with that. Shiro had already seen those changes on him and never seemed upset about them. Perhaps a bit startled the first time he’d seen them but not afraid. “Okay. Good. What else can I expect?” Because it occurred to him that Galra who went through this probably worried about other changes than turning purple. 

“Kolivan thinks you may be reaching sexual maturity.” 

Keith blinked at his mother. And then had a horrifying flash in his mind of Kolivan talking about this to his mother and his brain stuttered to a halt and shut down.

“W-what?” He’d already been through one puberty and that had been awkward enough considering most of it had happened while sharing a room with other cadets at the Garrison. He could only imagine how much more awkward that would have been if he’d been required to wear skin tight revealing clothes daily like he did now with his Marmora or Voltron armour. 

He really hoped that Galran puberty was different from human puberty or Keith wasn’t going to survive the teasing. 

“You’re a little young for it, but we think that’s your human side affecting it since you’re an adult by human standards. But you’ve been displaying many characteristics of Galran puberty.” 

“Others can tell?!” Keith knew that his mother was sharing other things he should be caring about more and he certainly needed all the information she could give him even if he really really didn’t want her to tell him that information. Surely there had to be some Galra Sex Ed pamphlet they could just give him to read? 

But right now, he was most concerned with everyone on Atlas being able to tell that he was going through alien puberty. 

“Older Galra, if they know what to look for, would be able to tell. But they’d have to spend time with you and know you to fully guess,” Krolia said. And those words, while not a full on no, did help to ease Keith’s worries a little. 

“So… what characteristics am I displaying?” Maybe if he knew he could try and stop being so obvious about it. Or at least decide if it was worth being embarrassed over. He’d gone through a crash course on Galra cultural norms when he’d started doing missions with the Blades and some of the things he was unintentionally doing had caused him to blush so deeply when he’d learn of their meanings that Kolivan had thought he had come down with a virus. 

“Your thoughts will wander and you’ll show a certain possessiveness for those you’ve claimed as yours. You’ll feel a need to be physically close to them, too,” Krolia said. And that’s when Keith noticed he was still leaning into her hand and that she was gently petting his hair in a soothing manner. 

It was nice and he felt calmer than he had the past couple of days and thankfully he felt no arousal over it. Because he really might have had to throw himself out of an airlock if he had. Apparently, Galra puberty wasn’t all about sex if family and friends could help him like this. 

“So it’s not just sexual?” 

“It doesn’t have to be. Sometimes there’s no suitable partners and family and close friends will do what they can to help. It usually takes longer for the hormones to pass but it does work.” 

“Okay. How long do you think it will take?” It might be weird to let some of the others pet him like he was Kosmo but if it meant he could concentrate on fighting the Empire again, he’d go for it. 

“A week or so. But I don’t think it will work for you.” 

“Why not?” Was it because his human half would interfere? Humans enjoyed touching between family and friends, too. 

“You seem to have focused in on someone. And the best and quickest way to handle your needs is to follow through with that,” Krolia explained. And Keith didn’t need her to say who it was that Keith had focused on. He felt heat rising to his face and looked down so his hair would better cover it from his mother’s view. 

“I know humans are a private species and that you may not like talking about this. But if you shared some of your thoughts on him, it might help me better prepare you for what you need,” Krolia said. 

Keith reconsidered his earlier thoughts about the airlock. It might be better to risk space than have to continue this talk with his mother. But if something weird was happening to his body that could affect Shiro, he had a responsibility to find out. Even if he might never be able to look his mother, and possibly Kolivan, in the eye again. 

“What do you need to know?” Keith asked. He was finding the fabric of the couch to be really fascinating. 

“When you think about him, are you the one receiving him or is he receiving you?” Krolia asked. 

Keith wondered if his mother was finding this as awkward as him but he wasn’t going to look up to find out. The last thing he ever wanted to do was share his sex fantasies about Shiro with anyone. It made him squirm just thinking about sharing such private thoughts but his mother wouldn’t ask if there wasn’t a reason. 

“I… why does this matter? Isn’t there a way to handle this without Shiro?” At least without involving Shiro in a sexual way since he wasn’t sure if Shiro would be up for doing the sorts of things he kept thinking about with him. Maybe if it was a sex or die sort of situation but that felt cheap and made his nose scrunch. He’d rather die than force Shiro to do something he didn’t want to do like that. 

“Galra present differently when they go through puberty. And knowing which presentation to expect for you will let me give you the best advice I can since we’ve left your education on this a bit late.” 

“Different presentations?” Keith had no idea what that meant and just prayed that super strange things weren’t going to start happening down below. He’d heard enough talk from other Blades to know that reproductive organs could be just as varied as the people they met and came in more shapes, sizes, and forms than Keith’s brain could handle. 

Krolia nodded. “Most of the time, their effect on who and what you like and how you behave are minimal. But during ruts and times of pressure, your presentation will be greatly reflected in how you behave.” 

Keith nodded. He thought that made sense even if he didn’t know what these presentations were or how they would manifest. The Galra definitely needed a pamphlet on this stuff. Or maybe a full book. With pictures. Just so Keith could make sure he wouldn’t grow tentacles or anything too creepy down there. 

If Galra genitals did change depending on presentation maybe Keith should just suck it up and say what he thought about when he looked at Shiro. 

“I think about him… being the one… to… uh… receive,” Keith said, each word feeling like it was being dragged out of him against his will. He was at least thankful for the careful phrasing his mother used.

“This is all a natural part of growing up, Keith. I know you weren’t raised with this but this is a proud moment in every Galra’s life no matter what their presentation is.” Krolia moved her hand so she could slip it under Keith’s chin and tilt it up so they could look at each other. 

Keith still felt like he’d rather be tossed out an airlock than have his Galra family celebrate him going through puberty and dreaming about banging Shiro but at least it meant they wouldn’t tease him about it. He was sure if Lance knew he’d never shut up. 

“Normally, an older Galra is encouraged for a first bonding partner to help you through all the changes. But I think Shiro will make a good bonding partner. He’s proven himself to be both patient and strong. A good sensible choice to spend a rut with,” Krolia said. 

Keith felt a mixture of pride at Krolia approving of Shiro and complete mortification at the thought of Krolia expecting him to bond or rut with Shiro and being fully aware of it. “Uh….” he said not sure what he was supposed to say to all of that. 

“I think many Galra would be jealous of you. Shiro is the prime standard for what we look for in a rut partner and I believe he won’t even make you work as hard to earn him as is the usual tradition. It’s an honour to be chosen, of course, but it’s still expected that you put a certain effort into wooing a bond partner,” Krolia explained, clearly seeing Keith’s confusion. Unfortunately, her explanation just added more. 

And before anything else could be said the alarm went off and announcements started. Empire ships had been spotted and Voltron was needed. 

Keith didn’t even pause to say goodbye before he jumped from the couch and was dashing away. He would never be happy that they had to go fight the Empire, but he certainly felt a bit relieved that they had decided to attack now and not twenty minutes later. 

 

-0-0-0-0-

The battle hadn’t been their most difficult but it had been time-consuming. The Empire kept sending out wave after wave of drone fliers and the way they swarmed and moved was new and annoying. Eventually with the combined firepower of Voltron, the MFE, and Atlas they swatted them all down and took out the battlecruisers that had carried them. 

Confirming the field was clear, Voltron headed back to Atlas and their new hangars. When Black lowered her head to the ground so Keith could step out he smiled as he noticed Shiro waiting a safe distance away to welcome them all back. 

After a quick check of the others to make sure they were okay, Keith turned back to Shiro and he felt his focus narrow in on him. Everything and everyone else around him ceased to be important.

“Keith. You did a good job out there,” Shiro said. That proud smile on his face. The one that always made Keith work extra hard to get. 

“Thanks. Couldn’t have done it without Atlas covering us,” Keith said. He then reached up and wrapped his arms around Shiro, pulling him down for a tight hug. He relaxed into it as he felt Shiro return it. 

Not sure why, Keith tucked his head in tight against Shiro’s neck and took in several deep breaths. Shiro smelled amazing and he let out a pleased sigh. 

“You okay there?” Shiro asked as the hug went on. 

Keith knew he should probably let go. Let Shiro greet the others like he wanted to. Let him praise them for their hard work and victory but Keith felt too riled up, too possessive to want to let go and share. 

He had a vague flash of realization that he probably wasn’t fully in control that this was what his mother was trying to talk to him about. But he couldn’t bring himself to fight it. Having Shiro in his arms felt right. Being able to deeply breathe in his scent felt even better. 

“Shiro…” He breathed out his name, as he clung to him tighter. He was practically climbing him with the way he was using his grip to hold him close to Shiro’s neck, forcing himself onto tiptoes. 

“It’s okay, Keith. I got you.” He felt Shiro’s human hand rubbing soothing circles on his lower back below the armour. Keith shivered at the touch and the realization of how large Shiro’s hand was and that his mechanical one was even bigger. He wanted to feel both of them all over his skin. Be held close by those large hands. 

“Is he okay?” Keith heard a voice ask. He’d guess Lance but everything that wasn’t Shiro seemed so far away and he didn’t care enough to let Shiro go to find out. 

“Sometimes the post-battle crash can hit hard,” Shiro said and there were some murmurs of agreement. “Shower, food, then rest. That should have us all feeling better.” It was said in a friendly enough manner but the tone of voice and the way he projected it meant that it was an order for both Voltron and the Garrison soldiers and pilots around. 

Something about that command sunk in enough for Keith to lower back down onto his feet and loosen his hold on Shiro. Fortunately, Shiro didn’t let him go completely. Just shifted his hold so that Keith was tucked up against his side, human arm draped heavily and comfortingly over his shoulders as they headed out. 

“Krolia mentioned you were going through some Galra things and might be feeling off. Do you want me to get her?” Shiro asked when they reached Keith’s room. 

Keith shook his head. What he wanted was Shiro. More specifically for Shiro to come inside his room. And then he wanted them both naked and on his bed. 

He flushed as he felt his body start to react to his thoughts and he had just enough sense of self left to hastily thank Shiro and slip into his room before slamming the door on his face. 

He probably should talk to Krolia, see what could be done so he wouldn’t jump Shiro the next time he saw him. But he didn’t want to hear about bond partners and ruts from his mother. He was sure that after a shower and a change of clothes he’d be feeling better and more in control. 

-0-0-0-0-

He had managed to make it through dinner with the others. Though he was sure he hadn’t been the best conversationalist since his eyes and thoughts kept drifting over to Shiro. Fortunately, nobody ever really expected him to keep the conversation going and when Lance tried to tease him for being a spacey space cadet, Shiro had explained that Keith was under the weather and to be nice. 

He wondered how much Krolia had told Shiro. Did he know he was going through some sort of puberty where he wanted to touch and be touched. Where he wanted to strip Shiro naked and worship every scar on his body until they were all mapped out in his mind? Would Shiro consider it an honour to be chosen as a first bonding partner like Krolia had mentioned was normal to the Galra. 

Shiro wasn’t Galra. But that didn’t stop Keith from wanting him. Didn’t stop him from being consumed by thoughts of him spread out under him panting and whimpering while chanting out his name like a prayer. Didn’t stop Keith from being wound tight and unable to sleep hours after they had said their goodnights. 

Giving up on sleep as a hopeless endeavour, Keith kicked off his covers, getting a grumpy protest from Kosmo when they landed on him and hopped out of bed. If he couldn’t burn off the energy by turning Shiro into a sated mess of a man, then he’d just have to do it through good old fashioned physical exercise. He dressed in some training clothes and debated a moment before grabbing his blade and headed out of the room, Kosmo padding along beside him. 

The gentle rhythm and whirr of Atlas’ systems were more noticeable at night when most everyone onboard was sleeping. But the halls were still well lit despite the late hour and if he listened closely, Keith could catch faint voices coming from the distance. Either crew working the night shift or perhaps others who also had trouble sleeping. He wouldn’t be surprised if others had nightmares after the time spent under the Empire’s occupation.

He wondered if Shiro was awake somewhere or if his memories had left him in peace for once. When he reached the training room doors and heard the obvious sounds of someone training with bots inside, Keith perked up. He didn’t want Shiro to have sleepless nights but if he was, Keith was more than willing to keep him company. 

He opened the door and gave a small smile when he saw that it was Shiro inside. And then he fully took in the man. The tank top he wore was clinging to him and practically see through from the sweat Shiro had worked up while training. And his hair was pushed back out of his face and sticking up cutely and Keith just wanted to run his fingers through it and smooth it down. Before smoothing his hands down other parts of Shiro. 

And the way Shiro moved shouldn’t have been arousing but right now, it looked like a seductive dance to Keith. Shiro was a hypnotic mixture of strength and ferociousness mixed with precision. A blend of Shiro’s Garrison and Voltron training mixed with his gladiator days, even if he couldn’t remember much of those, it was clear his fighting style would forever be coloured by those desperate and cunning moves. 

“Keith,” Shiro’s voice broke Keith out of his thoughts and Keith took it as an invitation to move further into the room. 

He tried to keep himself under control but as he moved closer and picked up Shiro’s amazing scent and was able to see drops of sweat moving down his neck and along his collarbone Keith just wanted. 

“Shiro,” He tried to say back calmly but it came out a rumbling growl. He vaguely noticed Kosmo disappearing but he knew the wolf could look after himself. It wasn’t something that he needed to worry about. Not when he finally had Shiro in his sights and all alone.

Shiro eyed him cautiously but Keith was pleased that he held his ground. He’d hate for Shiro to fear him or even be nervous. Shiro never had anything to worry about when it came to him. He would go to the ends of the universe and back for Shiro. And he’d always put Shiro’s pleasure and comfort above his own. 

“Couldn’t sleep?” Shiro asked. The question was casual but the way Shiro’s eyes tracked him wasn’t. 

“No. I kept thinking about you,” Keith said. And a part of him realized that Galra puberty hormones or whatever were more in control than he was right now since he would never say something like that to Shiro. Even if thoughts of Shiro had definitely plagued him at night before. 

“Oh…” The uncharacteristic reply obviously caught Shiro off guard, too. But Keith didn’t care. He wasn’t saying no or telling Keith he was like a brother. 

“I keep thinking about how I want to kiss you. Touch you. Make you yell my name as I breed you,” Keith said. Shiro physically startled at the words this time, giving a small jolt. But as Keith’s hand landed on his arm, Shiro didn’t freeze or pull away. Instead, he sucked in a sharp breath and looked Keith over like he was a puzzle. And Keith was willing to wait for Shiro to come to some conclusion. Some things couldn’t be rushed. And a part of Keith knew that this was one of them. That his chosen bond partner had to be free to agree or turn him down. 

Now that he was so close, Keith reached out with his other hand, slowly, to grip the front of Shiro’s tank top. The fabric was damp from Shiro’s exertions and it wanted to cling to his skin but Keith managed to bunch enough of it in his hands and gave a small tug. He wanted to signal to Shiro that he wanted him lower so he could kiss him if he was agreeable. 

The moment hung in the air far too long and Keith felt like he wasn’t breathing even though he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Finally, after Keith was about to leave in shame and disappointment, Shiro leaned down.

Keith wasted no time and with a growl, closed the gap between them and gave him a soft testing kiss. Keith then kissed him harder and moaned in delight when Shiro opened his mouth and their tongues could dance together. He gave Shiro’s lip a cheeky little nip with his fangs and then immediately pouted as Shiro pulled back from the kiss. 

“Keith,” He said and didn’t continue until Keith was looking at him and not just staring longingly at his lips. “Are you okay?” 

Keith wasn’t sure how to answer that. In one way, he had never felt better. Shiro was in his arms and kissing him and Keith was pretty sure that he could get Shiro to agree to more. But in another way, he knew that whatever he was going through wasn’t normal. His thoughts and desires were still certainly his own… just amplified. And while it might be weird, it didn’t feel wrong. 

“Yeah. I’m good. Real good,” He said. 

“And this is really what you want?” 

“Always. I’m still me. Just a bit more amped up.” 

“I can tell,” Shiro said and there was an amused chuckle in his voice that Keith just wanted to swallow whole. 

“Need you,” He practically whimpered out as he squirmed with the failing effort to hold still. “I really really want this. You don’t have to worry about me regretting it.” 

“Okay. I just had to check.” 

Keith smiled. Shiro wouldn’t be the compassionate leader he was if he hadn’t wanted to check. Keith felt tenderness and desire flood him as he thought about how perfect and caring Shiro was.

And then he wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck and a leg came up around his waist to hold him tightly in place. He kissed along Shiro’s jaw and neck before half nuzzling and half scenting him. Shiro was divine. 

“Woah! Keith, Keith…. Wait… We should take this somewhere more private.”

Keith grumbled as Shiro peeled him off but he had to agree to the logic. He didn’t want to move or wait. But he also didn’t want someone walking in and seeing his Shiro naked or in the throes of passion. He’d have to stop pleasuring his partner to go handle the interloper and he wasn’t sure that Shiro would be as flattered by that as Keith felt he should be. 

Looking around the training area, Keith also realized that the room was lacking in everything he’d need to make this coupling worthy of someone like Shiro, too. 

“Okay,” He said. And he grabbed hold of Shiro’s hand and started tugging him out of the room. He paused only once as he passed the mirrors along one wall and took in the Galran features that were so clearly on display. Apparently, that’s what Shiro had been commenting about. But Shiro had clearly seen them and was still willing to do this. So Keith refused to worry about them. He’d just have to be extra careful. The only marks he wanted to leave on Shiro’s body were ones from pleasure. Not because he didn’t know how to control fangs or claws. 

He didn’t care if anyone saw them or thought it odd that Keith was all but dragging along the captain of Atlas like he was a little kid. He kept looking back over his shoulder and smiling, making sure that Shiro was still following along and excited. 

“Your room?” He asked. He couldn’t explain why, but he needed Shiro to feel at ease. 

Shiro paused for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah. I should have everything we need.” He gave Keith’s hand a squeeze and they walked side by side rest of the way. At Shiro’s door, Keith waited for him to open it and then slid past him to get inside, his instincts telling him to survey the area even though he knew Atlas was safe. He walked through the sitting area and then into the bedroom and took one look at the bed and baulked at the sight of it. 

It was a pretty basic bed and Keith had had no problem with them all of his life. But right now it looked so sad and lonely and not at all what was needed for tonight. He turned and spotted the closet and went over and frowned at the two extra Garrison style wool blankets and one pillow he found folded there. He took them and moved back to the bed, unmaking it and then putting everything back on it before frowning. It somehow looked even sadder for his attempt. 

“What’s wrong?” Shiro asked. He slid an arm over Keith’s shoulders and Keith had never felt so unworthy of such a kind gesture. He let out a very non-human whimper and then looked at the bed.

“It’s not good enough.” He knew he wasn’t explaining it well since Shiro was giving him one of his patient and understanding smiles. But he wasn’t sure he even understood it himself. He just felt this urge to build Shiro and him a comfortable and safe space to bond in. 

“What can we do to make it better?”

Thinking of Shiro trying to build it with him and fix his inadequacies just made Keith even angrier. But not at Shiro. At himself. He was so bad and new at this. Is this why his mother said people picked an older experienced partner to help them through their first time? So that they could help them avoid making a fool of themselves in front of the ones they actually cared about? 

He didn’t have anyone here to show him what to do but he refused to let Shiro down. He would prove himself to be the best bonding partner ever. He’d just have to listen to his instincts.

“No. Wait here. Just uh.. Get what we need. And… just wait,” Keith said. And he was about to bolt from the room to hunt down more blankets but paused and went back to Shiro to pull him down for a quick kiss that may have had a bit too much fang in it. “I’ll be right back.” 

“I’ll be here… waiting,” Shiro said. He gave an encouraging smile and Keith took one last long look at Shiro before his eyes drifted back over to the sad bundle of blankets on the bed. That was the motivation he needed to leave Shiro and go on a blanket quest. 

It didn’t take long to find a supply closet. But it was filled with the standard military style white sheets, wool blankets, and too thin pillows and Keith just wanted to cry as he took out a stack of them. They did their job but they weren’t soft or inviting. And it just wasn’t what he wanted. 

He grumbled to himself as he prowled the halls of the sleeping quarters a bit more as if another supply closet might magically appear. But as he was heading back to Shiro’s room, feeling disappointed in his haul, he noticed a door that shouldn’t be there. 

Not only was Keith sure there was no door on this wall between the corner and Shiro’s door, the door was also red in colour instead of the typical neutral shades the rest of the doors were. Was Atlas trying to help him? Shiro said that he was learning every day and that he was smarter and more free-thinking than anyone at the Garrison would believe. 

Well, Keith believed. And as he opened up the door he grinned and dropped the useless Garrison style grey wool blankets. He didn’t know how Atlas had done it but he would just chalk it up to space magic and worry about the whys or hows later. “Thanks, Atlas,” He whispered as he filled his hands with all of the soft, puffy, and amazing blankets and pillows he could carry. 

He returned to Shiro’s room, thanking Atlas again for opening the door for him, feeling like a conquering hero. Shiro wasn’t where he left him and he had a moment of panic before he heard the shower going and relaxed. He’d take this time to set the bed up and surprise Shiro with it. 

He hastily set to work spreading them out and then building them in sections like an odd blanket fort. He wasn’t sure what was driving him but after a few minutes of fussing he stood back and took it in. It was perfect. 

“Did you build us a nest?” Shiro asked as he stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. 

Keith considered the bed and thought the word nest suited it perfectly so nodded. “Do you like it?” He asked. 

“It looks very inviting, Keith.” 

Keith puffed out his chest a little at that. He shouldn’t care about such a stupid thing, he knew that. But he felt bursting with pride.

“Then let’s get you in it.” He went up to Shiro, eyes taking in all of those fabulous muscles on full display, his mouth eager to start kissing all of those scars. There were more scars than he would have liked to see on Shiro’s body since it meant Shiro had been hurt that many times but it just gave him an excuse to kiss even more of him. 

“Will you be joining me?” Shiro asked as he let Keith start herding him to the bed with only minimal protest. 

Keith nodded and then froze as he leaned in to sniff at Shiro. “You showered.” He knew that. Had heard the shower running when he came in. But he hadn’t considered that the shower would wash away all of that tantalizing sweat and strong masculine scent that Shiro had worked up. 

“Sorry. I was feeling gross after training. And I thought I should put in some effort since you were.”

Keith was going to complain about the shower and tell him he was just going to get dirty again but seeing the faint blush colouring Shiro’s cheeks and knowing that Shiro also wanted to do something nice for him made Keith feel like he was melting. 

“I appreciate it. Thank you,” Keith said and gave him a light kiss as he finished pushing him onto the bed. He fussed with the blankets a bit more now that Shiro was on the bed and then paused to figure out what he wanted to do next. 

“I put lubricant on the table. And condoms if you want them.” 

Keith went to the side table and picked up the lubricant and then looked at the condoms. “If I want them?” He was not going to ask why Shiro had condoms or insult him by counting to see if they were all there no matter how tempted he was. Jealousy had no place in the room right now. Before tonight, he had no claim on Shiro. But after tonight… if he did everything right and proved his worth… maybe he would. 

“We’re both clean and it’s not like you can get me pregnant,” Shiro said. 

Keith nodded. He’d thought both of those things before, too. It was nice that Shiro was on the same page as him. 

“And well… you said you wanted to breed me. And I don’t have any objections.” Shiro’s face was red but he didn’t look away. 

Keith really wanted to devour him. 

“Yeah?” He asked. He left the condoms on the table and returned to the side of the bed with just the lubricant in hand. It was like a switch had been flicked in his brain. Because he was no longer feeling unsure of how he wanted to approach or what he wanted to do to Shiro. “I think the thought of me taking you and filling you up turns you on. You want me to claim you and breed you, don’t you?” The way Shiro had said no objections sounded a lot more like desperate to have it in Keith’s mind. 

A predatory smile grew on his face as he watched Shiro’s breath catch and a shudder of desire go through him. The towel was doing very little at this point to hide Shiro’s arousal and Keith felt pride in being able to turn Shiro on with just his words. “Don’t worry, Shiro. I’ll take care of you. Give you everything you want.” Especially when what Shiro wanted was exactly what he wanted to give him. 

Keith started stripping out of his clothes, only slowing his movement when he caught Shiro’s intense stare. “Like what you see?” He asked. 

Shiro nodded, his eyes raking up and down Keith’s body as he tugged off the last piece of clothing. “You’ve filled out while we’ve been gone. It suits you.” 

The heat in Shiro’s eyes as he looked up at him was too much for Keith to handle. He all but pounced on Shiro as he leapt onto the bed and into the nest he’d built. “Not nearly as filled out as you,” He said. He then leaned down and playfully bit at Shiro’s broad chest. He loved that someone so strong and powerful could be so soft and caring.

Shiro’s laugh turned into a breathy moan as Keith’s lips trailed to a nipple and started toying with it. “I’m glad you approve. Is it okay if I touch you?”

Shiro didn’t seem to have any problem with Keith touching him so he wondered why he thought Keith wouldn’t want him returning the touches. But this was their first time together so it was good to have open communication. 

“Please. And tell me if you don’t like something?” 

“I will. Just try to take things slow, okay? I’m not going anywhere.” And then Shiro’s hand settled in his hair and began petting him, his human hand sliding softly over skin, pausing now and then to trace over scars Shiro discovered. 

Keith felt so content and proud at Shiro saying he was going to stay and touching him so gently. How could he ever want a Galra bond partner or whatever when he had Shiro? 

To show his appreciation, he made sure to kiss and touch every inch of Shiro’s skin he could reach. Mapping out his scars and taking note of where and what made Shiro’s breath catch or made him squirm. Those spots and techniques he happily abused until Shiro was impatiently calling his name and tugging at his hair for something more. 

“Should we get rid of the towel?” He asked, his voice dark and teasing as his fingers skimmed over the top of it. 

“Yes. Gods yes, Keith. Please,” Shiro said. He had tried to take it off himself a couple of times but Keith always batted his hands away. Other than a couple annoyed noises, Shiro didn’t protest and Keith thought that maybe Shiro liked him taking charge. 

“Since you asked so nicely.” And also Keith wanted to look at and touch the rest of Shiro. Leaving the towel on had teased him just as much as it had teased Shiro. 

And thinking about how close he was to his prize, he gave a growl as he ripped the towel away, flinging it out of the nest and kneeling back so he could better take in Shiro. “Gorgeous,” He breathed out. 

Where others might see flaws, all Keith saw was the strength of Shiro’s will to survive all those fights and torments that had been inflicted on him. He was stronger and more beautiful because of it. And as his eyes scanned down, he couldn’t find anything to complain about. He was perfectly proportioned and so obviously hard and aching from Keith’s touches. 

Keith licked his lips and leaned down to taste him. He smiled as Shiro’s cock twitched at the first flick of his tongue and then reached to hold the base to hold it up and steady as he licked around the head. 

There was a cut off moan and Keith looked up at Shiro to see that he had his flesh hand against his mouth and seemed to be struggling with staying still and quiet.

“Okay?” He asked as he gave Shiro’s cock another testing lick. He tasted amazing. He had thought that people didn’t really like the taste of their partners or doing this. Keith thought if Shiro let him, he would spend hours sucking on him, trying to draw as much of that delicious flavour out of him as he could make. 

“Y-yeah… just… your tongue…” 

Keith was a bit confused. He knew Shiro wasn’t a virgin and someone giving him oral pleasure shouldn’t have been a surprise. He tilted his head to the side in question and Shiro gave a small laugh. 

“Your Galra side is showing… feel it.” 

Keith licked his own hand and then startled at the feel. He wouldn’t say it was as rough as a cat’s tongue but it was certainly more textured than his tongue should have been. “Oh… good or bad?” He asked. He thought that Galra and humans would be fully compatible since his mom and dad clearly were and neither his mother nor Kolivan had warned him away from Shiro despite knowing that was where his interest was. But if Shiro didn’t like it, he’d have to think of other ways to turn him into a puddle of pleasure until he figured out how to stop involuntary shifts. 

“Good. So good. Don’t stop, Keith. I’ll tell you if something’s bad or I don’t like it. Trust me, okay?” Shiro said. And that hand was back petting his hair and he could do nothing but trust Shiro was telling the truth. 

The way he moaned and squirmed as he went back to licking him all over certainly helped prove his words. 

“Take me in your mouth, Keith. Suck on the top and swirl your tongue around. Mmm yeah, just like that. Now deeper… don’t push it… use your hand to cover what you can’t reach.” Shiro gave instructions between moans and gasps for air and Keith listened carefully, following every instruction to the best of his ability. He knew he didn’t have the most experience at this and he wanted to be good for Shiro. He was eager to learn everything Shiro wanted to teach him and apply those skills with full enthusiasm. 

“Oh yes. Yes. Do that again,” Shiro said. His hips were jerking up and Keith had to use one hand to try to hold him in place as he moaned out for more. 

And while a part of Keith wanted to tease him, ask him if he really wanted it again, he instead twisted his hand around the base of Shiro’s cock and brought him back into his mouth, sucking and swirling his tongue just under the flared head of his cock. He seemed to be extra sensitive there.

“C-close… I’m going to… Keith!”

Keith knew exactly what was coming and there was no way he was leaving without receiving his prize. Unless he heard a no or a stop, he was going to suck Shiro dry. 

He continued teasing the head of his cock and didn’t have to wait long for Shiro’s body to tense up. He heard a breathy moan of his name before he was distracted by a hot liquid hitting the back of his mouth. 

The first spurt startled him and he nearly pulled back but then the taste hit him and he moaned around Shiro’s cock as he hastily swallowed all that he could. When Shiro stopped coming, Keith gave his cock one last squeeze causing Shiro’s hips to jerk and a small final dribble to escape him. 

Keith lapped it up greedily as he pulled his mouth off. He then licked his lips and thumbed off the bit that had escaped to collect on his chin. He felt like the cat that got the cream. 

“Good?” He asked. But that was mostly just for his ego. From Shiro’s blissed-out expression, it had definitely been good. 

“Real good. And you look so hot licking your lips and hand like that,” Shiro said. 

Yeah?” Keith asked and licked his lips again. 

“Yeah. Now kiss me.” 

And apparently tired of waiting, Shiro’s Altean hand was at the back of his head and pushing him down so he was within range to kiss. 

Keith gladly let Shiro pull him close, rubbing his erection lightly against Shiro’s hip as they kissed. He hummed as Shiro’s tongue investigated his mouth, seemingly searching out any remaining trace of his own seed that Keith hadn’t managed to greedily swallow down. 

They eventually broke apart and Keith peppered light kisses along Shiro’s jaw and neck. 

“Want me to give you a hand?” Shiro asked. 

It took Keith a moment to figure out what Shiro was asking and then shook his head. He didn’t want to come by Shiro’s hand or mouth even if he was sure that would be amazing. He wanted to sink himself deep inside of Shiro and come there. 

“I want to be in you when I come,” Keith said. 

“Okay. But it might take me a while to get excited again…” Shiro warned. 

And Keith couldn’t tell if he was being told to wait until Shiro was ready for round two, something he would do but really dislike, or to just go ahead and breed him but don’t expect Shiro to be that excited about it. He really didn’t like the thought of taking Shiro unless he was hard and begging for it. 

“So….” He said, a question to his voice. He nibbled on Shiro’s neck as he waited for Shiro to tell him what he wanted. He could be patient and listen, even if he was still rubbing his erection against Shiro’s body. 

Shiro gave a soft chuckle and ran his fingers through Keith’s hair some more. Keith wondered if he should be insulted by the laughing but it felt warm and inviting and not like Shiro was ever making fun of him or teasing his lack of experience. It was nice. 

“We could kiss some more. And you can start getting me ready. Or maybe I can do it… Do you think you can retract your claws?” Shiro asked. 

Keith pulled back from the mark he was leaving on Shiro’s neck and looked at his hands. He’d forgotten they were like that and it was amazing that Shiro trusted him enough to get all handsy with his cock. But he could understand Shiro’s reluctance for letting them go inside of him. Keith wondered if other Galra didn’t need to be prepared like humans did or if they were all just a lot better at making sure claws didn’t get in the way. 

And then there was the thought of just watching Shiro finger himself. He whimpered at the mental image that popped into his head. Would Shiro use his Altean arm? The fingers were pretty big but Shiro seemed to be able to move it in a further range than he’d be able to if it was really attached. Either hand would be hot though. But Keith wanted to be involved, too. 

“What if I used my tongue?” He asked. And then panicked as Shiro made an odd choking noise. “Are you okay?!” 

“Y-yeah,” Shiro said when he finally seemed to be able to get words out. “Just didn’t expect that for some reason…” 

“But it’s not bad, right?” Because Keith had spent far too much time fantasizing about licking Shiro all over including his entrance to have it feel wrong. But if it was something Shiro didn’t like… well, Shiro’s comfort came first. 

“The opposite. How about you start opening me up with your tongue and if you can’t figure out the claws, I can finish up for you,” Shiro suggested. 

Keith nodded eagerly. He gave Shiro a hard kiss and then moved back between Shiro’s thighs, grabbing the muscled limbs and spreading them further apart and pushing them up, intent on his goal. 

“Woah… Keith. Wait up,” Shiro said. 

Keith paused in his attempt of folding Shiro up in half to get to his entrance and looked up at Shiro. “Yeah?” 

“Let me roll over. I don’t think I’m as flexible as you think I am.” There was definitely amusement tinging Shiro’s voice but the look of desire was still easily visible in his eyes so Keith relented and let go of Shiro’s legs. 

He wanted to keep looking at Shiro’s face, watch as he came undone from pleasure or just make eye contact as Shiro watched him. But Keith had to admit that the position required to do that would probably be awkward and he didn’t want to wear Shiro out before he got to properly claiming him. 

“Okay.” He moved back and helped Shiro roll over, fussing with blankets and pillows until Shiro let out a contented sigh and then what might have been an annoyed huff as he gave his own ass a light smack. 

“Attention here, Keith,” Shiro said and gave his ass another light tap to emphasize the point. 

Shiro certainly knew how to get his attention away from pillows and onto more exciting things. He watched Shiro’s ass cheek give a slight shake before muscles flexed and wow, Shiro had a fantastic ass. 

Keith straddled Shiro’s legs and then reached out to fondle the toned globes of Shiro’s ass. He watched with fascination as his fingers gripped into the flesh and how the muscles flexed as he moved his hands around. After a while of playing, Keith used his grip to pull Shiro’s cheeks apart and stared at the entrance that was tightly shut and looked so small. Keith didn’t know how long it would take to get Shiro ready to take him but he was willing to put in the time. 

Letting go of Shiro’s cheeks, he ran his hands up Shiro’s muscled back, watching the way his muscles shifted. He traced over scars with his fingers and then with his mouth before his hands drifted back to play with those toned globes again. 

“Having fun back there?” Shiro asked. He turned enough so Keith could see his amused smile but there was also a bit of impatience and desire there. Good. 

“I am. You?” 

“I believe you mentioned your tongue?” Shiro asked proving that he was indeed growing restless. 

“Maybe…” He leaned down and gave Shiro’s right cheek a playful bite causing Shiro’s hips to jerk. 

“That’s not your tongue.” 

“Nope. But you liked it, didn’t you?” 

Shiro only grumbled at that but he stopped watching him and relaxed back onto his pillows a sign of trust and permission to bite some more. 

So Keith did. This time nipping and sucking at the left cheek until there were several noticeable marks left by his teeth. Too bad others wouldn’t be able to see them. Shiro’s ass was amazing but it looked even better with Keith’s marks all over it. So much so that he thought he’d add another one to the right side.

“Keith… please,” Shiro hissed out as Keith was working on yet another mark. 

“I thought you said it would take you a while to get into it again…” Keith said. He was planning on taking his time and enjoying himself as he explored Shiro’s body while he waited for him to get riled up again. 

“I think I underestimated your powers. Tongue. Now.” 

Keith smirked a bit at that admission. He was glad he affected Shiro as strongly as he affected him.

After stretching out across his back to give his neck a deep sniff and playful bite, he relented and followed Shiro’s command. If all of Shiro’s commands continued to be this fun, he would gladly obey them all. 

He pulled apart Shiro’s cheeks and leaned in to give a tentative lick to his entrance. He paid close attention to how Shiro moved and any sounds he made as he gave a second lick.

With some encouraging sounds and words, it wasn’t long before he was licking and sucking at Shiro’s hole, his tongue poking into it as his hands worked hard to hold Shiro in place. He would never have guessed that Shiro was such a squirmer but he liked it. 

As he plunged his tongue in as far as it could go he wished he could use his fingers. But one look at his hands told him that option would have to wait until he was more in control and could figure out how to retract them. Shiro might seem to like the light pinpricks the sharper nails caused when Keith gripped him tightly but he doubted he’d enjoy being actually scratched by them. 

“Shiro... how are you doing?” He asked. His jaw was starting to get tired but he was also enjoying how Shiro was trying to be quiet but ended up whimpering and writhing beneath him. 

“Good… really good,” Shiro said sounding a little dazed. 

Keith leaned over his back to get a better look at him and tangled his fingers through his hair and tugged him in for a kiss. “Want me to keep going or do you want to get ready for me?” 

Keith could see the indecision on Shiro’s face and felt pleased that Shiro wanted him so much he couldn’t figure out how he wanted him. 

“Let me get ready. I want to have enough energy to enjoy this.” 

Oh yeah, Keith was definitely feeling smug at that. And what better sleep aide to help Shiro through his nightmares and to stop worrying about the universe and Atlas for a few hours than to be fucked so well that you pass out? 

“Here’s the lube,” Keith said passing over the bottle. 

Shiro took it and Keith noted with interest that he was pouring it onto his Altean hand and waited to see what Shiro would do next. 

“Do you want to kiss me while I do this or watch?” Shiro asked. And Keith thought that maybe Shiro was blushing a little as he asked but it was hard to tell when Shiro was still flushed looking from Keith’s mouth. 

“Both. But I don’t think that’s possible…” 

“Move for a moment,” Shiro said and directed Keith to the side so that he could roll over. He grabbed a pillow from the side of their nest and placed it under his hips and then got comfortable with his legs spread and bent. “Okay, let’s try this. You stay there at my side and kiss me and you can still look down and see.” 

It wasn’t the straight on view of fingers plunging inside of Shiro that he wanted but he would still be able to see Shiro’s hand moving from this angle and if he got curious it would be easy to break the kiss and lean over to get a better look. 

He leaned down and kissed Shiro as his answer and then pulled back as Shiro startled lightly. 

“Sorry. I surprised myself. Fingers are bigger than I realized,” Shiro said. 

Keith looked down Shiro’s body, past his hard and tempting cock to see his Altean hand floating between his legs, moving just a little bit. It was sort of weird to see it so far away from where it should rest naturally but at the same time, it was really hot. “That’s so cool,” He said with awe. He then leaned over to see that Shiro was moving his middle finger in and out of him. 

“It is. I’m going to have to figure out what else this arm can do. But right now, I want you up here, Keith,” Shiro said and reached with his free hand to tug Keith back up to him to kiss him. 

The kiss deepened and Keith was more careful with his fangs. Already he was better at keeping them from cutting either of them as their tongues brushed against each other and they explored each other’s mouths. 

Suddenly, Shiro pulled back and moaned, his hips lifting up off the bed.

“How many?” Keith asked, eyes focused on Shiro’s face and the pleasure there. 

“Th-three.” 

Keith felt like Shiro had gone up to three quickly but it looked like it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle from the sounds he was making and the way he was rocking his hips into his other hand. 

“I want to be in you when you come.” Keith actually wouldn’t mind watching Shiro come undone at his own hand but not right now. He had Shiro all excited and that’s how he wanted to take him. 

“Then do it. I’m ready.” He reached past Keith and handed him the lubricant.

Keith noticed his other hand was still between his legs though it wasn’t moving nearly as much, probably just lightly teasing Shiro to keep him ready. “How do you want this?” Keith asked. 

“Whatever you want.”

“Hands and knees?” It was the position that popped up most frequently in his fantasies lately and as he suggested it, it just felt right. Like how building the nest had felt right. 

“Sure. It’s a good one. Let’s you have a lot of control on angle and depth,” Shiro said. His Altean hand was back up at his side as he rolled over. And while Keith wasn’t sure how it supported Shiro’s weight when it wasn’t attached, it seemed to be doing so as Shiro raised fully up onto his hands and knees. 

Keith couldn’t resist fussing about with the pillows and blankets for a moment, a hand or two always finding a way to touch and stroke Shiro’s skin as he worked, before he found himself between Shiro’s legs. He stroked down Shiro’s back, causing him to shiver and let out a breathy moan. 

“You look so good, Shiro,” Keith said as he poured some lube onto himself.

“I’ll feel even better. Hurry up.” 

Keith grinned. He liked how Shiro was a mix of docile and assertive in bed. How he was happy to let Keith explore and choose what they did while at the same time not being shy about telling Keith how he liked things or what he wanted next. 

But his goal was to overload Shiro with pleasure so he wouldn’t be able to think and just had to trust Keith to take care of him. And he would.

He gripped onto the base of his cock and pressed up close behind Shiro. He guided himself between Shiro’s cheeks and enjoyed the view of himself sliding between them and lightly teasing at Shiro’s entrance. Keith was lucky Shiro was patient enough to let him do it but the light rocking back against him was clearly a subtle hint to get on with it. 

He held onto one of Shiro’s cheeks as he pressed against his entrance. With a small push of his hips he slid easily inside of him. They’d both done a good job at preparing and relaxing Shiro for this and Keith smiled as he rocked back slightly before pushing in deeper. He didn’t stop until he was fully seated inside of him. 

He ran his hands up and down Shiro’s sides as he all but draped himself over his back. “Okay?” He asked already feeling breathless with the exertion to go slow and not lose himself in the amazing heat and tightness that was surrounding him. 

If he died now, he could go a happy man. Shiro’s body was that heavenly. 

“Yeah. Just keep moving. It feels good,” Shiro said. 

Keith rocked his hips in and out a little as he continued to touch Shiro’s sides and back, feeling the muscles covered by hot skin. “Ready for me?” 

“So ready. Show me what you got, Keith,” Shiro said. 

Keith bit his lip for a moment to keep himself focused and not just come from Shiro’s words alone. That would be embarrassing and no way to win Shiro over. When he was back under control, he gripped onto Shiro’s hips, careful of his claws, and pulled almost all of the way out before thrusting back in. 

It took a few strokes, but when he finally hit the right angle, Shiro’s back arched beautifully and a loud moan escaped him. Keith made sure to hit that spot as often as he could and didn’t let up even as Shiro’s arms finally gave out and his head fell onto the pillow that Keith had placed there for him. 

“You’re so perfect, Shiro,” Keith said between thrusts. “I want to make this so good for you that you come back for more. That you’ll let me claim you over and over again.” 

Shiro moaned in response, words seeming a bit too hard for him at the moment besides a litany of more, Keith, and yes, all three of which Keith enjoyed hearing. He noticed Shiro’s Altean arm was no longer by his side and smiled when he caught it moving under him. He wanted to be the one to give Shiro all of his pleasure but he was using all his strength to make sure Shiro’s hips stayed up and he was hitting that right angle with the speed and force that seemed to make Shiro moan the loudest. 

If he was given the chance, Keith would make sure to master all of this so he could better multi-task next time. “Are you going to come for me, Shiro? I see your hand working hard,” Keith said. 

“Yes. Keith… don’t stop. Close. ” 

Keith growled as he gripped Shiro a little harder, snapping his hips against Shiro’s with even more energy. He was getting close, too. And while he wanted to hold out, he couldn’t help chasing his own orgasm. Especially since it seemed like with every thrust it was getting harder to move and he wasn’t sure he could keep this up much longer. 

“Keith… what…Ah… Keith!” Whatever Shiro had been trying to ask him clearly wasn’t enough to keep him from finding his release. Keith could feel Shiro coming around him, his muscles tensing hard in that moment right before he crashed over into bliss. 

Keith gave one last hard thrust inside Shiro and ground down against him before he was also coming. He collapsed onto Shiro’s back, hands leaving Shiro’s hips to run along his sides as Keith kissed and bit at every inch of skin he could reach along Shiro’s back and neck. 

It felt like forever but eventually, he felt like he could breathe and think somewhat clearly again even if he was still tingly from pleasure. It also, oddly, still felt like he was coming, his balls pulsing every now and then. That was weird. He knew some guys came more than others but this had to be a lot. Maybe it was a Galra thing? 

“Shiro… You okay?” He asked. He hoped he wasn’t too heavy or that things weren’t getting uncomfortable with just how much he was coming into him. He didn’t want to leave that delicious heat just yet. 

“Mmmhmm. You feel good. I just feel...full,” Shiro said. His voice muffled slightly by the pillow his face was turned into. He was still up on his knees but Keith thought that was more from Keith’s effort than Shiro’s ability to stay up.

“I’m breeding you so well,” Keith said in a smug rumbling voice against the back of Shiro’s neck. 

Shiro gave a tired but sated sounding laugh at that. “You sure are. I don’t think I’ve ever been filled like this,” Shiro said. 

Keith worried again that it might be too much but Shiro seemed content as he said it and Keith relaxed and continued stroking Shiro’s sides in a soothing manner. “I can do it again if you want…”

“Oh. I’ll definitely want, Keith. Don’t worry about that,” Shiro said. 

Keith purred at the words. A real honest rumble coming from his chest. He startled at it and it faded away but he had definitely purred. 

“Were you… purring?” Shiro asked. Apparently curious enough to rouse himself from his blissed-out state to look over his shoulder at him. 

Keith felt himself blushing. “I think so. It was weird…” 

“We should try to make you purr again. It vibrated your chest against my back. And it sounded cute.” 

“Like I want to do something that makes you think I’m cute when I’m claiming you, Shiro,” Keith said and huffed a little. He wanted to be sexy and irresistible. Not a cute little kitten. 

“Cute isn't bad. I like cute,” Shiro said. 

And well.. Maybe being cute wasn’t that bad when Shiro was looking at him like that. He stretched across Shiro’s back to give him a kiss. Shiro hummed into it and then let out a small yelp. 

“What was that?” Shiro asked. 

Keith had felt it, too. When they were kissing, it seemed natural to pull apart and enjoy the afterglow but there had been this tugging sensation around his cock. He grabbed onto Shiro’s hips to keep him tight against him and then slid his hands up to grab onto his cheeks and tugged them apart so he could get a better look. 

That was definitely his cock still snuggly held in Shiro’s heat. He slowly tried to pull back his hips and had to stop as Shiro protested. It also was a bit tight on him. And when he looked closer he could see a bulge trying to escape Shiro that was most definitely still his cock. 

“Oh…”

“Oh?” Shiro asked. His breathing was picking up and not in a sexy way. 

Keith’s hands went back to running along his sides and back for a moment before sliding once more to his entrance and poking at it. “I think I have…” What was the word for it? “A knot?”

There was definitely some sort of bulb near the base of his cock that was now keeping him firmly snug inside of Shiro. And the smug and distracted part of his brain also noted it was keeping all of his seed inside of Shiro, too. 

Keith may not be the most sexually experienced man in the universe but even he knew humans didn’t run around with knots. So it was definitely weird. But at least it wasn’t tentacles or some weird desire to eat his bond partner. 

He really should have insisted on getting the full sex ed talk even if the airlock sounded better. He could have at least warned Shiro what to expect that way. 

“A knot?” 

“Yeah… a part near the base is inflated. I can’t pull out without hurting you.” 

“Okay. That’s a new one for me,” Shiro said.

“Sorry… Galran puberty…” It wasn’t really an excuse. He should have known what to expect before just sticking his junk inside of Shiro. He’d never forgive himself if he had actually hurt Shiro with this. 

“It’s not so bad. A bit of a surprise though.” 

“For you and me both. Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“Still feeling full. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s not even all that bad,” Shiro said. And then the devious and wonderful bastard clenched his muscles. Right where his knot was resting in his body. 

Keith swore he saw stars and his hips involuntarily shoved forward, pushing Shiro further into the blankets. “Fuck. Shiro!” He thought he’d come all he could but he felt his balls valiantly try to drum up some more for Shiro’s sneaky efforts as he squeezed again. “Stop that. You’re killing me.” 

“Sorry. Just wanted to get a feel for it. How long do you think it will last?” 

“Forever if you keep squeezing it like that.” And really, Keith would probably be okay with that even if he turned into a husk of himself from Shiro milking him dry. 

“Well at least we went with a pretty comfortable position.” Shiro squirmed around a bit, causing Keith to quickly catch a hold of his hips to at least keep that part still, and then sighed as he got comfortable with his head resting on his human arm and the pillows there. 

“True.” Keith thought about all of the horribly uncomfortable positions they might have been stuck holding for however long this would last and was glad he had listened to his instincts. He then thought about a position that he was sure would be really comfortable for Shiro and one he wouldn’t mind either. 

“Maybe next time you should ride me,” Keith suggested. 

“You can’t say things like that when I’ve already come twice,” Shiro said. 

But Keith knew he wasn’t angry. He was just annoyed that the idea turned him on and he was probably too tired to do anything about it. 

Keith saw it as another challenge. It wasn’t as if he had anything better to do with Shiro while they waited for his knot to go down. “What? The mighty Atlas captain doesn’t think he can come a third time? You’re not that old, Shiro.” 

“Old enough to know my limitations.” 

Shiro had to know what Keith had in mind. And while he was clearly a disbeliever, that hadn’t been a no. 

“Where am I rubbing in you? Think I can hit that spot that makes you yell out my name?” Keith asked as he started swivelling his hips. He didn’t have a lot of room to work with. If he pulled out too much he was going to hurt Shiro but he could still move just enough to make his knot rub around.

“Feels like you’re rubbing everywhere,” Shiro said and then let out a long groan. 

Clearly, that was the place. Keith leaned over Shiro’s back, working at leaving more marks on him as he continued to swivel his hips as much as he could. “You’re almost screaming my name already.” 

Shiro muttered something that was probably cursing him or his heritage but it ended on a moan so Keith was willing to let it slide. He continued to work Shiro up, eventually reaching around him and smirking against his skin when he found Shiro was hard again. Hah! And Shiro didn’t think he could do it. 

“You’re so good like this, Shiro. So sexy and willing. I know you can come again like this. You like me breeding you, don’t you?” Keith had no idea where his ability to talk dirty came from and he would probably be horrified to hear it played back to him but right now, it was just making him even more turned on and he knew it did the same for Shiro. 

“Yes. Keith, you feel so good. I’m so full…it’s too much,” Shiro whimpered out. 

Keith noticed he was starting to go down in size since Shiro was able to wriggle around more against him. He tried to hold him still with just one hand so that he could keep stroking him. He picked up his movements hoping to get Shiro off before his knot shrunk completely. 

“Come on, Shiro. Be good for me. I want to feel you come one more time,” Keith said. And then ground forward as he leaned over once more and bit down hard on the nape of Shiro’s neck. It was probably harder than he should have done since he could taste blood but before he could apologize, Shiro was yelling out his name as he trembled below him. 

Shiro didn’t come much, but the orgasm looked like it had to be good as he moaned and shook his way through it. He then gave one last contented sigh before he slumped down fully onto the blankets and pillows, the remainder of Keith’s knot popping out of Shiro as he fell. 

Keith panicked for a moment until he heard Shiro’s breathing and saw the sated look on his face. “Rest now, Shiro. You were great,” Keith said. He gave Shiro’s forehead a light kiss and Shiro gave a small smile before his eyes closed. 

Keith straightened up and looked down at Shiro. He had several noticeable love bites around his neck, especially the last one that was already turning an angry looking colour. And despite Keith’s best efforts, there were definitely some marks from his claws, especially along Shiro’s hips where finger spaced bruises were undoubtedly going to form. At least he hadn’t drawn blood with them though. And then there was the mess between Shiro’s legs. Keith really had come a lot if the amount now escaping Shiro was anything to judge by. And he was pretty sure Shiro had to be sleeping in a wet spot of his own making, too. 

But Shiro seemed dead to the world and Keith didn’t think it would be right to wake him. He’d just help Shiro clean up when he woke up and tidy up their nest, too. Maybe, if he was really good, Shiro would be up for letting him go another round. 

Already thinking about what he wanted to do to Shiro next, and keeping in mind the limitations a knot might bring, Keith settled in next to Shiro, putting himself between Shiro and the door and carefully covered them with extra blankets. 

 

-0-0-0-  


By the time Keith emerged from Shiro’s room, it was lunchtime and he was starved. He had showered and dressed, with help from Kosmo who had found him in Shiro’s room a few hours earlier obviously wondering what they had been up to. Fortunately, they hadn’t been doing anything sexual at the time. He didn’t need his space wolf watching that. 

He’d also used Kosmo to grab some snacks to offer Shiro but now he was on the hunt to get Shiro something more substantial. He’d told Shiro to wait for him and he’d be back but Shiro had seemed rather determined to make an appearance and check on things. His goal was to make it back before Shiro could leave. Even dedicated captains deserved a day off now and then. 

He gave a nod of greeting to the other paladins as he saw them at their usual table. But instead of swinging by to say hi, he went directly to the trays and grabbed two of them before moving to the buffet to see what was on offer. 

They hadn’t been in space that long so most of the foods were still clearly of Earth origin but each day it seemed more and more alien foods were making it in. He hoped Hunk had shared some of his recipes with the Garrison cooks. It was sort of amazing what Hunk could do in the kitchen. 

As he was debating how many vegetables he should pile onto Shiro’s plate, he felt a presence beside him and looked over. It wasn’t a surprise to see Lance but he really could have done without him wanting to gossip. 

“You’re looking chipper. Good night?” Lance asked. 

“It was fine,” Keith said hoping that his poker face would hold. He nudged Lance down a little so he could put some of the roasted vegetables on their plates. 

“Kolivan sounded like we shouldn’t expect you today. You didn’t show for training this morning…”

Keith shrugged. He’d have to remember to apologize to Kolivan for not showing up without warning but it seemed that Kolivan had expected it since the full Galra probably knew what this puberty stuff better than he did. “I just didn’t get a lot of sleep. Thought I’d sleep in for once. Take advantage of a quiet day. ” It seemed like a logical answer. He had to keep his energy and up stay sharp in case a battle happened. 

“Shiro didn’t show for any of his stuff this morning either,” Lance said. 

“He probably had the same idea as me. It’s good for him to take some time off,” Keith said. He took his trays to another area of the buffet and started piling on some chicken for Shiro and some steak for himself. 

“One of the overnight engineers mentioned seeing you and Shiro heading off together… late at night,” Lance said. The insinuation in his voice wasn’t lost on Keith even though he wished he could ignore it. 

“And?” He asked. He wasn’t ashamed of it. But he didn’t know how Shiro wanted to handle this and really even if everyone on the ship loved to gossip to pass the time like they were still in high school it wasn’t their business. 

“Come on man. Don’t be like that. You finally got laid. By Shiro. You should be happy. I want details… actually, maybe I don’t want details. Just you know…,” Lance was making weird gestures and was getting awfully worked about this and was being far too loud for Keith’s sanity. 

“Shouldn’t you be worried about your own dating life?” Keith asked hoping to deflect Lance. He didn’t know why Lance suddenly thought they had the type of friendship where they shared these sorts of things with each other. Just because he trusted Lance to watch his back on the battlefield didn’t mean he wanted to talk about private things with him. 

Before Lance could answer, a strange hush started to fall over the cafeteria and they both looked up and over at the door. Keith couldn’t stop the soft look and smile he sent in Shiro’s direction. The man was gorgeous. And his. 

He had wanted to make it back to Shiro’s room before he left so he could provide for his partner and keep him safe in their nest, but he could make sure he was safe and fed here, too. 

“Damn, Keith. You’re supposed to kiss him, not try to eat him,” Lance said. 

Keith gave Lance an inquisitive look before his gaze found Shiro again. And even with Shiro dressed in his perfectly pressed uniform and obviously freshly showered, there was something about him that just seemed more calm and sated, like it was clear he had had some really good sex. The ring of love bites circling his neck that even the high collar of his uniform couldn’t cover probably helped with that image. 

It made Keith feel very smug and proprietary. He quickly finished adding a few things to their trays, ignoring Lance, and then headed over to Shiro. 

He didn’t even notice that the quiet had gone, replaced with obvious gossip about their beloved Atlas captain. Keith was too focused on Shiro. And then on James trying to lean into Shiro’s space while they talked. 

Keith knew that Shiro was a leader and a caring person so a certain amount of tolerance for people wanting Shiro’s attention was needed. But there was no reason he had to put up with James making seductive eyes at Shiro or reaching out to touch him on his arm. 

A growl escaped him as he reached Shiro and he glared at James. 

“Keith. Is that for me?” Shiro asked. He easily slid past James, cutting off Keith’s glaring contest.

He wanted to keep growling at James, but Shiro had clearly chosen him over James and Shiro’s needs came before his petty desire to rip James limb from limb. He nodded at Shiro and offered the tray to him. “I tried to get all of your favourites. If you don’t see something you want, let me know and I’ll get it.” 

“Thanks, Keith. This looks perfect.” He smiled at Keith and then nodded toward their usual tables. 

Keith would really rather go back to their rooms but relented and followed Shiro to where the other paladins were. As they walked, they noticed a few of the aliens on board give Shiro and him curious looks and he figured that to other aliens with sensitive noses, they could probably smell how their scents were all over each other even with a shower. It made Keith want to push out his chest with pride at Shiro being his. 

“So uh… you two… uh… had a good night?” Hunk said. 

“The Atlas grapevine works fast,” Shiro said. He seemed unconcerned with everyone knowing and talking about it and that helped Keith relaxed. 

Still, it’s not like he wanted to share details so he just nodded and then got to work on his food. If he was eating, he couldn’t talk, right?

“There was some talk about it last night from the overnight shift, but the gossip really picked up when neither of you showed up for breakfast,” Pidge said. She had her datapad flipped around to show them some of the Garrison message boards and a few chat groups that seemed way too obsessed with his and Shiro’s sex life. 

“That’s a little creepy,” Keith said. 

“I think it’s sweet that everyone is so invested in their leader's well being,” Allura said. 

Keith supposed that was one way of looking at it. But he wondered if Allura would feel the same way whenever Lance and her finally got together and the gossip was about her instead. 

Not that he thought that would happen anytime soon. Just when it seemed like Lance was finally growing up and becoming someone Allura wouldn’t want to roll her eyes at, he’d go and do something so stupidly Lance it was almost hard to be angry at him. 

“So how much sex did you guys have? You must have had years of pent up sexual frustration and pining to take out on each other, right?” Lance asked. 

Keith took it back. It was still very easy to be angry at Lance even when he was acting exactly like you feared he would. “I have no idea what you’re talking about…” 

“Oh come on. Even I realized you two were totally thirsting for each other.” 

“After we pointed it out to you,” Pidge said. 

Keith wondered when his friends had had this conversation about him and Shiro and then immediately decided he didn’t want to know. 

“That’s enough guys. I was helping Keith with some issues that came up because of his Galra heritage. What we do after this is between us,” Shiro said sternly but softly enough that the reprimand didn’t sting as much as it could have. 

Keith gave Shiro a thankful smile and reached over to give his thigh a quick squeeze in thanks. He wasn’t sure how aware Shiro was about his puberty issues before last night but he was thankful to Shiro for helping. And for being open to more than helping. 

“Issues?” Allura asked.

Keith was saved from answering by several members of the Blade of Marmora coming in and his mother coming straight over to their table. 

“Keith. How are you?” She asked. She ran her fingers through Keith’s hair and he found himself leaning into the touch. 

“Good. I’m feeling better.” 

“I can see that. Though I should warn you it probably won’t last. After the initial bonding, the symptoms will come and go in waves for a few more days,” Krolia said. 

“So it’s not over?” Keith asked. He wasn’t against dragging Shiro back to their nest and knotting him until he was bursting and so sated he couldn’t keep his eyes open. But they were fighting a war. They could justify a morning off but not several days. 

“Not yet. But it shouldn’t be so hard on you now that you have a bonding partner with you. You can probably do some work on the data pads if you needed to.” 

Keith sighed but decided there wasn’t much he could do about it. He’d just have to treat it like some inescapable medical leave. “Are you okay with that?” He asked Shiro. 

Shiro seemed about as conflicted as he did over it. They had certainly enjoyed themselves last night and this morning. But duties and obligations were calling and they both found that hard to ignore. “We’ll make it work. It sounds like you’ll need this if you’re going to fly Black and there are others I trust to keep the ship running.” 

Keith nodded. It did help that they had a fully staffed crew now. They didn’t have to do everything themselves anymore even if it was still hard for all of them to remember that at times. 

“I’m glad my son has you as his first bonding partner, Shiro. You may not be Galra, but you have every characteristic that would make you a popular partner with anyone going into their rut. If my son doesn’t put forth a formal claim, you may have some of the Blades requesting your assistance,” Krolia said. 

There was stunned silence at the table until Keith’s growling broke it. 

“No,” He said, his growling causing his voice to be rough and low. 

“I believe that choice is up to Shiro, Keith. Just like everything else,” Krolia said. She brushed a bit more hair out of his face before moving to the side to give Shiro’s shoulder a firm pat. “You should probably take him back to your room. I may have set off his instincts.” 

“Of course. And can you tell any Blades who think of asking that I’m only honoured to help when it’s Keith asking,” He said. He then stood up and picked up his tray. “Come on, Keith, let’s finish in my room.” 

Keith, still feeling angry at the thought of others sharing with Shiro what they did last night, tried to focus on what Shiro was doing and saying. If the others were saying anything he didn’t hear them. It took a moment to work through the fog of desire to just pounce and claim Shiro here but he did it. He even managed to stop growling. 

“Okay,” He said. He stood and grabbed his tray. His mother stopped him to give him a quick and careful hug. He’d remember her words. The ones about others being interested in Shiro and the ones about making a formal claim. He’d have to ask Kolivan or Krolia how that was done but he’d also have to ask Shiro if something more official was something he’d be interested. 

But for now, he would content himself with following Shiro back to his room and making sure he was well fed before he took care of any other needs that Shiro might have. 

He apparently had a few more days yet to convince Shiro that he makes the perfect bonding partner. And he thought he’d start with a full body massage before moving on to more universe shattering sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was hard not showing Shiro's pov in this fic since he definitely got a heads up from Kolivan about Keith's puberty troubles. He was doing his best to be understanding and open to Keith's needs while also being very turned on/surprised at times. 
> 
> I may write a sequel where I play with more ABO tropes and maybe write from Shiro's pov. We'll see how my inspiration goes.


	2. A Burning Curiosity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's rut has ended and it's time to get back to work. But Shiro has questions about Galra mating habits and Kolivan has questions of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was tempted to make this into a separate story within the same fic series but decided to just add this as a new chapter since I don't think it explores anything that wasn't warned about in the first chapter. 
> 
> Shiro does have a moment of PTSD but no worse than he does in the show.

Shiro tentatively pulled away from Keith, who thankfully let him go with only a sleepy mumbled complaint. He then made his way over the pile of blankets and out of the bed. He swore the blanket pile and amount of pillows on his bed had kept increasing everytime Keith left the room but he had no idea where he could possibly be finding them all. 

It was cozy though, even if it was starting to feel a bit stifling. Looking at Keith still sprawled in what was their nest, Shiro gave a soft smile as he stretched. He was feeling a bit stiff and gross but he was sure a hot shower would fix both of those. 

Keith may have been an enthusiastic and rather territorial lover the past few days but despite the numerous love bites and scratches covering his body he couldn’t say that Keith had been rough with him. He was just feeling tender from the amount and that wasn’t anything worth complaining about. 

Sure that Keith wouldn’t worry too much if he woke to find Shiro gone, he headed to the bathroom for his shower. Though he did leave the door cracked slightly just in case Keith felt the need to check in on him. 

Whatever sort of Galra puberty Keith was going through, it seemed to manifest itself in strange ways. And Shiro, for the most part, was willing to go with it. Even if it meant giving up on a few minutes of privacy for a shower to let Keith talk him into a bath where he had insisted on cleaning Shiro from head to toe. It had been a little awkward at first, but soon Shiro had to admit that it was nice to be pampered. He did draw the line at Keith spoon feeding him. He’d let Keith pop bits of fruits and such into his mouth but he was a grown man and knew how to use a fork and a spoon. Keith had pouted a bit but had seemed pleased enough when Shiro said they should enjoy eating the meal together. 

After just standing under the hot spray of water for a few minutes and letting the heat wash away tension from his muscles, Shiro made quick work of scrubbing himself down and then did it once more just to be sure. When he stepped out of the shower, he was feeling more refreshed than he had since this thing with Keith had started. Maybe a few days enjoying bedroom activities and being doted upon was just what he had needed. 

Shiro wrapped a towel around his waist and grabbed a smaller one to finish drying off his hair as he stepped back out into the room. He froze at the sight before him. Keith was up and wearing boxer briefs and seemed to be dismantling their nest. 

Keith finished sniffing at a pillow before tossing it onto one of the two piles in the room before he turned to look at Shiro. “Hi,” He said. His voice sounding less confident than it had the last couple of days. 

“Hey. Feeling better?” Shiro asked. 

“Well I don’t have the desire to build a nest and throw you in it and worship you right now, so I’ll say yes,” Keith said. He grabbed another blanket from the pile and didn’t even bother smelling it before tossing it on what Shiro assumed was the to be washed pile.  
Shiro still wasn’t sure he understood the importance of the nest or why Keith felt such an instinctual need to care for him like he had but he couldn’t say that he had minded it. Even without the warning from Kolivan, Shiro couldn’t picture a scenario in which he would have turned Keith away. He may have been even more confused about what was going on, but he liked to think he was open enough to be supportive of whatever strange needs Keith had. And he wanted to make sure that Keith understood that now that he seemed to be back to his usual self. 

“Hmmm… that’s good. I suppose we both have work we need to catch up on. But I wouldn’t object to some of that happening again,” Shiro said. 

“Yeah?” The hopeful look Keith sent him made Shiro smile. 

He nodded and moved closer to the bed, careful not to trip on the growing piles of linen on the floor. “I know we did things in a strange order. But I enjoyed helping you with this. And I wouldn’t say no to maybe something more permanent.” 

“Me, too. But Krolia says I’m supposed to give you a few days to think on it. Make sure all of this is out of our systems or something. I don’t know… I wasn’t really listening. I was trying to get back to you with the mango smoothies we’d been talking about,” Keith said, the frustration clear in his tone as he fiddled with a pillow. 

“It seems like we both still have a lot to learn about Galra mating habits…” It would have been nice if they had both known more going into this. But they hadn’t done anything Shiro regretted and he didn’t think Keith regretted anything either. And they had time to figure things out now. 

“Yeah… I guess… I’m sorry I didn’t know everything before this happened. You could have been hurt. Especially when the uh… knot thing happened.” 

Shiro found it charming that Keith had been so assertive and filled with dirty talk the last few days but was now acting shy and awkward about it. “It’s fine… Honestly, I liked it. I won’t lie. It was a surprise. Just not a bad one.” 

Keith looked up from the pillow in his hands to give Shiro a smile that quirked slightly into the mischievous smirk Shiro remembered seeing a lot the past few days. “I definitely remember you enjoying it.”

Shiro felt heat rise to his cheeks at that. Apparently Keith wasn’t the only one who could feel a little awkward the morning after a three day sex spree. “We can talk more later… I feel like I should at least put in an appearance today and be caught up on any new developments.” It would be fun to get pulled back into bed. But checking in a few times a day via data pad was just not the same of getting proper updates and seeing the crew for himself.

“Okay. I’m going to clean this up for you. Maybe take a shower and then talk to my mom. I don’t think I’ll be up for training or anything today.” 

“Understandable. You’ve been through a lot the last few days. You should rest and figure things out,” Shiro said. He reached out and put a hand on Keith’s shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. He tried to ignore just how warm and nice Keith’s skin felt under his hand. He should have used his Altean one. 

Keith huffed. “It’s not like you didn’t go through anything.” 

Shiro gave a casual shrug and smiled. “I had a thoughtful partner. I feel fine. Maybe a little tender in places but I don’t plan on hitting the training deck so it shouldn’t matter.” He gave Keith’s shoulder one last pat before turning to grab all of the clothes he’d need. He tugged off his towel and tossed both towards what he assumed was the laundry pile Keith was making. 

“I g-guess…”

He noticed Keith hastily looking away and focusing back on the shrinking nest causing Shiro’s smile to grow. But he thought he’d be kind to both of them and hastily got into his uniform, taking his time to make sure everything was perfect.

“I’m sorry about those,” Keith said. 

“Those?” Shiro asked as noticed Keith looking at him again. 

Keith walked over to him and gently ran his fingers over the bite marks that had only multiplied over the last couple of days and that weren’t even close to being hidden by the high uniform collar. “There’s really no denying what you’ve been up to the last few days, Captain Shirogane.” 

Shiro sucked in a sharp breath at the title and teasing tone. “I don’t mind. The people of Earth, especially those in the Garrison need to accept that the alien races across the universe have different customs and needs than ours. I was taking care of someone important to me who needed me.” Though it would be wise to take a look in the mirror and see how visible the marks were when dressed. He had thought the collar would cover most of them. 

“I don’t know whether to be annoyed that you make me sound like an obligation or impressed that you can make several days of debauchery sound like it was something outstanding that you should be awarded accolades for.” 

“You’re never an obligation, Keith,” Shiro said quickly and with meaning.

Keith ducked his head and then went back to the nest to keep dismantling it. “I’ll find you for dinner. We can talk after that, okay?” 

“Okay. Message me if you need me for anything before that, okay?”

“Always.” 

Shiro decided there was no more delaying, unless he wanted to undo all of his work in getting cleaned up, and while that was tempting, Krolia was probably right in that a little space after this would be good. Besides, he did actually have work to get back to. 

Hesitating only a moment at the doorway, he eventually stepped out and into the hall for the first time since breakfast on the first day of their unplanned absence. 

-0-0-0-0-

“Shiro! You’re back,” Matt said as he ran down the hall a little to catch up to Shiro, leaving behind a fellow rebel officer he was talking to. 

“I didn’t go anywhere, Matt,” Shiro said. 

“Back at work then. The rumours said you and Keith were out with a bug or something.” 

“Or something,” Shiro said. He didn’t like being gossiped about, but he was at least thankful that most of the Garrison didn’t seem to know the real reason he and Keith were gone for the last few days. He might have said that it was important for them to learn about other alien cultures and be open to the differences but that didn’t mean he wanted everyone talking about his sex life. 

“What does that me-holy shit! Were you mauled?” Matt exclaimed and he pointed to his own neck to show just where he was looking on Shiro. 

Shiro sighed. He knew they were obvious if anyone gave him more than a passing look but he had hoped people’s reactions to the necklace of love bites Keith had left on him would be a bit more subdued than that. 

“Not mauled.” 

“Wait... “ Matt leaned in close and lowered his voice. “Are those from Keith?”

Shiro didn’t deny nor confirm that but he felt his face burning and knew that Matt wouldn’t have missed that. 

“Aha! They are. So you two what? Spent the last three days relieving yourselves of years of built up sexual tension? While the rest of us had to work? That’s cruel man,” Matt said. At least he didn’t seem overly put out by the fact that Shiro had had sex with Keith or that he had blown off work just for that. Even if there was more to the story than that. But of course that’s not what his brain chose to latch onto it. 

“Years of sexual tension?” Shiro would easily agree to months, but years? That seemed a stretch. 

“Hmmm okay. Maybe not for you. But definitely for Keith. I think when puberty hit, you went from amazing mentor figure to guy he wanted to pounce on. I bet that was confusing for him at first. Especially with you leaving on a space mission,” Matt said. 

Shiro blinked at him. He didn’t think that Matt and Keith were especially close, but anyone who was friends with him before the Kerberos mission would have known Keith to some extent. And it wouldn’t surprise him to find out that the Holts spent their time together catching up on all of the juicy details of their friends’ lives. Just because Pidge didn’t seem to have much interest in dating at the moment didn’t mean she was oblivious to what the other Paladins were feeling. 

While it was odd thinking that the teenager he left behind had had a crush on him, it did mean that Keith had been interested in him in more than a purely brotherly way for years now. And that meant that it wasn’t just Galra hormones pushing Keith to have sex with him. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought. 

“I don’t think we should be discussing what Keith may or may not feel in the hall,” Shiro said. “And while I appreciate your support, the last three days wasn’t just about sex.” He nudged Matt into the room that the meeting was going to take place in and was thankful that it was still empty. 

“Then what was it about?”

“Keith was going through some Galra things and I was helping him out,” Shiro said. It sounded a little weak when he phrased it like that. But he didn’t want to go into details about Keith going through an alien puberty and hitting a mating cycle or whatever that was. Partially because he didn’t fully understand it yet but also because it seemed like something Keith would want to keep as private as possible. 

“Galra things?” Matt asked. 

“I’m sure if you want to know more, you can ask one of our Galra allies. Now, are you staying for the meeting?” He asked. 

Matt sighed. “How is it you spend three days getting laid and you come out of it this grumpy?”

Shiro chuckled at the complaint. “Because we’re still fighting back against the Empire and I have three days of paperwork and news to catch up on.”

Matt held up his hands in surrender. “Fine. Fair enough. But when you’re caught up, we need to get together so you can share some more details.”

“No. And you’re not allowed to ply me with whiskey again either. I swear I still have the hangover from last time,” Shiro said and made a face at the memory of how bad his head had hurt the next two days. 

“Oh come on. It was the only way to get you to share any juicy details about what you and Adam got up to. I shared about my sex life, too,” Matt said. 

“And I still know far more about cunnilingus than I’ll ever need to know.” It had certainly been informative and eye-opening to hear Matt go into such detail about what his girlfriend at the time had enjoyed. But it was also something he would have been okay going his whole life never knowing about. 

Matt snorted and rolled his eyes. “I’ll find a way to make you talk. And this time, I have a lot of fun stories to share. Rebels are made up of aliens from all over,” Matt said. He waggled his eyebrows and Shiro knew it was hopeless to try to get out of it. Besides, a small part of him would admit to being a little bit intrigued. With so many different races out there in the universe, it would be interesting to learn more about how they mated. For science… of course. 

“You’re considering it, aren’t you?” Matt said with a smile. 

“Only to get you to stop talking before the meeting starts.” 

“I’ll find us something good to drink. And to answer your question, no, I’m not sticking around. I was heading to find the ship’s quartermaster to see what was picked up at the last stop. We’ve been doing supply runs and non-direct combat missions while you and Keith have been indisposed. But I’m sure the meeting will catch you up on it.”

Shiro nodded. He knew the type of missions they’d been doing from the updates he’d been keeping track of when Keith went out to get them food or drinks. But he was looking forward to getting all of the information and the latest updates on enemy movements. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later and maybe I’ll let you set something up.” 

“Perfect. I’m sure we’ll find some downtime.” Matt went to exit the door just as the first of the Blades started coming in. He let them enter and then slipped out giving Shiro a final wave before the closed behind him. 

Shiro felt the eyes of every Blade member on him. It was hard to say if the ones behind the masks were more unsettling or the look that Keith’s mother was giving him was. Considering they were all Galra and undoubtedly knew exactly what he had been getting up to with their smallest member meant that all of the eyes were a little uncomfortable. 

He took a deep breath and thankfully before anyone could say anything, the door opened again to reveal Coran, Sam Holt and a few other Garrison officers that would be needed for the intel brief with the Blades. 

Shiro gestured for everyone to sit but remained standing as he took in another breath. He ignored the curious glances from the Garrison officers, especially when he felt them notice the marks on his neck. He hoped nobody brought it up in the middle of an official meeting.

“Before the meeting starts, I want to apologize for my unexpected absence the last few days. I’ve tried to keep on top of all relevant information but it may take me a day or two to catch back up on all of the details,” Shiro said. 

“There’s no reason to apologize, Captain,” Kolivan said. “We know why you were absent and understand that you did not choose the timing of it. We are honoured that you would choose to help one of our own as you did.”

Shiro felt awkward about the topic being addressed like that but he also felt some of the tension leave him. The Blades were crucial allies but not always the easiest to work with. He was glad that this hadn’t upset them but instead seemed to have impressed them. 

He sat down and gestured for the first speaker to begin. He listened carefully and asked questions when needed but was relieved that he hadn’t seemed to have missed as much as he feared. 

 

-0-0-0-0-

Kolivan had been the last one to speak in the meeting and as he wrapped up, he had caught Shiro’s eye with the universal look for ‘I want a word with you’. Since Shiro had also wanted to speak with Kolivan it worked out fine with him. 

He called the meeting to a close and as everyone else filed out, he dithered with his datapad to seem like he had a reason to delay and so others wouldn’t try to speak with him on their way out. 

When he noticed Krolia glance his way, he started working on a report in earnest on the pad. He did not want to get caught up in a conversation with Keith’s mother when just hours before, her son had been deep inside of him and making him moan. He respected Krolia and liked her, but right now, she was not the Galra he wanted advice from. He needed to make sure he could go ten minutes without thinking about the amazing orgasms Keith had given him before he was ready to have a conversation with her again. 

“How are you feeling?” Kolivan asked after a few minutes as he leaned against the head of the table near where Shiro was sitting. Shiro looked up and saw that it was just him and the leader of the Marmora now. 

“Good. Keith took care of me,” Shiro said. He knew how much Keith respected Kolivan and didn’t want the older Galra to think that Keith was anything but respectful and caring during their time together.

Kolivan nodded at that but still looked a little troubled. “I knew from Krolia and other intel that humans should be compatible with Galra on a general level but I did worry that experiencing a rut like this may be too much for you.” 

Shiro gave a small chuckle at that and shook his head a little fondly at Kolivan’s concern. Humans may not be on the same level of Galra when it came to physical strength or endurance but Shiro rather felt he held his own just fine sexually. “While I admit the differences between Galra and humans was a little surprising, this was hardly the first time I’ve enjoyed several days indulging in bedroom activities,” Shiro said. 

He rather enjoyed the startled look Kolivan gave him, though whether it was at the blunt honesty or the confession in general Shiro didn’t know. He supposed everyone who met him after the Kerberos mission would be surprised to learn just how carefree aspects of Shiro’s life was before he left Earth. He had always been a dedicated worker and tried hard to be an inspiring leader. 

But he also chafed against the constraints of the Garrison at times and he knew his body wouldn’t stay at peak condition forever. It had led to joyrides, thrill seeking adventures and of course, indulgent days of pleasure with Adam. And he could almost think of him without feeling sadness and regret. It would have probably felt different thinking about him if he had been alive and here to greet him when he returned from space. It was entirely possible they wouldn’t even get along now. But he’d never get the chance to find out. 

Shiro pushed those thoughts aside to focus on Kolivan and the more present concerns about Keith and Galran puberty and anything else they might need to handle in the future regarding Keith’s heritage. 

“I see… well, it’s good that you had some experience with such things,” Kolivan finally said. “Though may I ask what surprised you?” 

“Your warning helped with knowing how to handle things. But it didn’t really help with the specifics. The nest was odd, but sort of cute how determined Keith was to get it perfect,” Shiro said. And he was still curious to just where Keith had managed to find and keep finding so many amazingly soft and fluffy blankets and pillows to keep adding to the nest. It was something that he still hadn’t gotten a straight answer to. But maybe now that Keith was feeling more himself, he’d be willing to share his secrets. 

“Ah, yes, that’s a fairly common desire for us. We want to create a safe and cozy space for our partner. In normal circumstances, there would have been a courting period for your affections and agreement to help see Keith through his rut. While it’s an honour to be chosen, it’s still expected that they’ll work for your attention,” Kolivan explained. 

Shiro nodded. He still didn’t quite get how all of the social and mating norms worked for the Galra but he had understood enough to know it was important that he was supportive and receptive to Keith’s desires to pamper him. “So if there’s a next time, I should make him work harder before agreeing to go to bed with him?” 

“We make allowances for the first time. Just like with everything, it takes time and guidance from those more experienced to learn how things should be done.” 

Shiro nodded in agreement. While such advice normally wasn’t given in context with ancient courting rituals for what seemed like a hormonal and instinctual drive to mate and spoil someone, he could see how it would still apply. 

“Actually, You may find requests to court you for future ruts of Marmora members. You’re, of course, allowed to turn them down, though gently, but it would give you insight on what is expected in these circumstances.” 

Shiro was relieved that he was allowed to freely turn down anyone else who tried to seek him out as a rut partner and it seemed as if Kolivan expected him to and that it wouldn’t be an issue. But he would certainly need to learn the proper way of doing so to help spare anyone discomfort or awkwardness in the future. “Is there a reason they’d seek me out?” Shiro asked. 

“Now that you have proven yourself and humans in general, are compatible partners I can see interest increasing. Also, you hold many of the qualities that a Galra would look for in a rut partner.” 

“What qualities are those?” Shiro asked. He wasn’t trying to stroke his own ego. He really was curious what types of things Galra wanted in partners for this. It could help him understand his allies more and possibly give him more insights into Keith. 

“You’re a strong and capable leader but you also hold compassion and care for those below you. Those would be the first things that any Galra looking at you would notice. Physically, you are strong enough that a Galra would not have to worry overly much about harming you if things get heated and while you are very clearly not Galran, you still hold qualities that are aesthetically pleasing,” Kolivan said.

And even though he said it so seriously and in a matter of fact way, Shiro couldn’t help the heat rising to his cheeks. Had Kolivan checked him out at some point and come to the conclusion himself that Shiro was pleasing to look at or was it just something he picked up on from general chatter among those he’s encountered? Shiro wasn’t sure which thought made him blush more. 

“Ah… I see,” He said as neutrally as he could. It was certainly a compliment to be seen as such by the Blades of Marmora but strange, too. “I still have a lot to learn about the Galra. I was hoping you’d be willing to help me with some of the things.” 

“I’ll do my best but I’m sure Krolia would also be willing.” Kolivan paused and an amused smirk that Shiro could never remember seeing appeared on Kolivan’s face. “Though I suppose some things may make you uncomfortable to talk about with her.” 

Shiro didn’t groan but it was a near thing. He did not need Kolivan teasing him about sex or whatever type of relationship was budding between him and Keith. “There are some people humans do not want to talk to about their sex lives. In general, we tend to be somewhat private about these things.” 

Kolivan tilted his head in consideration and then nodded. “I had come to that conclusion by observing the paladins and those in the Garrison. Our mating cycles mean that keeping such things private is rather futile and our culture has evolved to be one of acceptance and understanding about such things. Though there are certainly races who are much more provocative than Galra and much more conservative than humans.”

That was something that Shiro had assumed from their interaction with various races but also something he was curious to know more about. He was sure Matt had some interesting insights into certain races from the sound of it. But with Kolivan being aware of so many differences Shiro was a bit disappointed that the leader of the Blades of Marmora was choosing to use this information to make him squirm. “And yet you still choose to tease me over it?” 

“Keith is a Blade. And we’re all family to an extent. If you end up together with him, you will be family by extension. I was told that it was a family ritual to tease in this scenario. Also, it would be wise to get you used to being more open about such things.” 

Shiro could just imagine numerous people filling Kolivan’s head in how family was supposed to react and behave to someone wanting to date a member of the family. Especially when that person was likely the youngest member of the family. He really needed to encourage Kolivan to come to him for advice on Human culture in the future. 

“I guess that’s fair. And I’m glad he’s found so much family. He deserves a chance to be happy and to be loved,” Shiro said. He could handle the teasing and so much more if it came from people who cared for Keith the way he knew Keith had always desired.

It was amazing to Shiro that somehow in the middle of a war, Keith could find his mother, an amazing and unique pet wolf, and a whole group of specially trained secret assassin aunts and uncles. Finding out who he was and a place where he could belong had done wonders for Keith’s well being and had helped him to settle into a more level-headed young man and leader. 

“He does. And while the Marmora believe that our mission takes precedence, we still care deeply for each other and watch out for each other when we can,” Kolivan said. 

And Kolivan didn’t need to say any more than that for Shiro to recognize a threatening talk to care for Keith or else. Commander of the Atlas or not, Shiro wasn’t about to test his luck by pissing off a group of trained spies. He doubted there was anywhere in the universe he could successfully hide for long with all of them looking for him. 

“I understand.” 

“Good. Now, I believe we got slightly off topic.” 

Shiro nodded. “I wanted to know more about what Keith is going through. And how to politely decline others who may ask me to be their uh... rut partner.” That hadn’t initially been part of what he wanted to know from Kolivan but he didn’t know it was a possibility before. He didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and while it was flattering to know that other Galra would want him as a partner, there was only one member of the Marmora that Shiro had any desire to help in that way. 

“There are a couple of short books that I could send to your datapad. I believe the Holts and a few others have been working on a more complete translation program. And while it may not be perfect it will give you more of a starting point. And then you can ask me anything more specific you’d like to know.” 

Shiro didn’t look forward to wading through a potentially dubiously translated book on Galran mating habits. But he supposed it would save them both some awkwardness of having to discuss everything. Also, he knew Kolivan’s time was important and could be better spent coordinating Blades or training than teaching Shiro the birds and the bees. 

“Thank you. If the book or Keith can’t answer something, I’ll come speak to you.” 

“Was there anything else?”

“Nothing that can’t wait until after I read through the book,” Shiro said. 

“Then there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. It’s about your scent,” Kolivan said. 

“My scent?” Shiro knew that some aliens, including the Galra, had a better sense of smell than humans. But he had thoroughly showered earlier and while he was sure that Keith’s scent still lingered on his skin, he didn’t think that would be anything Kolivan would want to talk about. 

“At first, I thought your scent was so different from the other Paladins because you had reached full maturity. But after being around other adults of your species, your scent remains unique.” 

Shiro frowned at this. “Unique how?” Was his illness somehow returning? Or was it because he was a clone? Though Kolivan had initially met him before that had happened so had his scent changed between their first meeting and after he had returned as a clone?

“How much of your time with the Galra do you remember?” Kolivan asked. Not answering Shiro’s question. 

“You think they did something to me?” Shiro asked, his concern rising. 

“The druids enjoy experimenting and you would have been the first Human in their grasp.”

Shiro logically knew this but it was harder to hear Kolivan calmly talk about it. “I still don’t remember much. I remember even less from when I was part of the Lion.” He couldn’t bring himself to say as a clone or when he was dead. His conscious had lived on while in the Black Lion and the clone’s memories were nearly impossible for him to sort through to make any kind of sense of. It was like wading through half-remembered dreams without enough context. 

“Ulaz shared some information regarding the druid experiments but they mostly made no sense to us. I wonder if the druids weren’t trying to make you into a super soldier or a type of robeast as you call them,” Kolivan said. 

Shiro was thankful he was still sitting down as he felt himself blanch at the thought. He was sure his knees would have given out on him if he had been standing. To think they could have corrupted him that far. He reached out to touch his mechanical arm, once again thankful that it was now Altean and Earth tech powering it and not Galran. 

“I’m suddenly even more thankful to Ulaz. From what I understand, just having the Galran arm was enough to be controlled by Haggar. I can’t even imagine how much more control they would have gained with more modifications.” 

“And that’s assuming they made no further changes to you when they started cloning your body. Keith said that it was like a factory…” Kolivan paused, clearly seeing how these words were upsetting Shiro and probably wondering if he should continue. 

“That’s the real question, isn’t it?” Shiro finally forced himself to say. “They could have mixed anything into my DNA or altered my body in ways that we may never know… and then there’s the fact that my conscious doesn’t belong in here. I took it over.” And it didn’t matter how many times the others told him that the clone was dead or dying when that had happened, he still sometimes felt like he stole this body. This Shiro hadn’t been a robot. He may have stolen Shiro’s DNA and memories somehow but from the moment he had escaped the Galra he had started building his own experiences and making his own choices separate from Shiro. 

It was complicated to think about and on nights where he couldn’t sleep, Shiro tortured himself further by considering his clone and if he was really dead or had he somehow killed him when being transferred from the lion. And there was also the possibility of other clones out there still. 

There were times when he even worried if he’s truly the real Shiro or if he was also an unknowing fake or maybe just a body thief. There were scars on his body that he didn’t remember getting and at times when the paladins talked about things he was supposedly involved in he couldn’t remember them because it had actually been his clone there. 

Shiro didn’t realize that his thoughts were taking over until Kolivan’s hands settled on his and he raised his head to see that Kolivan was kneeling in front of him and leaning in close. “Take deep even breaths for me, Shiro,” He said. And then coached Shiro through breathing until he was doing so on his own and the panic was subsiding. 

“Sorry about that,” Shiro said when he was sure that the panic attack had passed. 

“There’s no need to be sorry. You are not the first soldier of war to be overcome by their memories and you won’t be the last. Even the Marmora have demons they wrestle with.” 

“I can imagine,” Shiro said. Grateful that Kolivan understood, at least in part, what Shiro was going through and how to help him. Even Keith, who had seen and done more than the other paladins, couldn’t seem to fully comprehend all that Shiro had done and been through.

“Even the strongest leader has moments of doubt or can be overcome by our past. It’s nothing to be ashamed about. It means you have faced trials in your past and you survived them. You can use those experiences and hard lessons to better yourself and lead your people more wisely,” Kolivan said. He gave Shiro’s hands an encouraging squeeze before straightening back up and going back to leaning against the edge of the table like before. 

Shiro took a moment to let those words filter through him and while he was in no rush to let the paladins and garrison see him at his weakest he didn’t feel quite so afraid to have it happen. He already knew Keith would never judge him for it. 

“You’re right. But it’s not helping us solve why this body doesn’t smell completely human to you.” 

“Not this body, your body. Unspeakable things were done to you. But you have overcome them to be stronger and become the leader of Atlas. And it is that mind and that body that Keith wanted to share his bed with the last few days. Do not dismiss either so easily.” This time, Kolivan’s voice held the hint of a warning. He was still reassuring but it was clear that Shiro was reaching the end of Kolivan’s patience for a pity party. 

And Keith really didn’t seem to have any objections to his body the last few days. And while he was being showered in kisses and soft touches, Shiro hadn’t found any problem with it either. Even if he couldn’t trust himself fully at times, he should at least trust Keith’s judgement in this. 

“Is there a way to find out more about this cloning project Haggar did?” Shiro asked. 

“If Keith’s reporting is accurate the main facility for it was destroyed. And because of the time jump all of you experienced, we didn’t even know that it had existed until over two years later. Operatives in the relevant positions know to keep an eye out for anything pertaining to the project but we don’t have the resources to look further into it when it might mean crossing Haggar’s path. The witch isn’t one to cross lightly.” 

Shiro sighed at that. It was what he expected and really, Kolivan asking operatives to do any sort of looking for the project was more than he had hoped for. “Perhaps once we finally take down the Empire we’ll have access to the records and be able to find out more.” 

“Until then, perhaps you’d be interested in seeing our doctor. While she’s not a druid, she is familiar with some of the techniques they favour and she’s also been studying Human biology since arriving here. She may be able to offer some insight.” 

Shiro considered the offer and thought it was the best chance he had at finding answers to this mystery. “The tests won’t be overly invasive, will they?” Shiro asked. 

“You’ll have to discuss it with her. She won’t do anything without your permission though,” Kolivan said. It seemed like he had an idea of what was causing Shiro’s hesitation. 

Shiro didn’t have a problem with the Galra working with them to stop the empire and even enjoyed the company of the ones he had gotten to know better but that didn’t mean he would react well to being in a setting where he felt experimented on by them. But he couldn’t see it hurting to at least meet the doctor and see what she had in mind. 

“Another advantage to visiting our doctor, is that it will guarantee your privacy. I understand that things in the military stay a secret only until it could affect your ability to work or those above you in rank are curious as to why you’re visiting the doctor.”

“We’re not quite that bad. But add in the general gossip of bored Garrison officers and I will agree that privacy on Atlas can be an issue,” Shiro said. 

“Perhaps you need to run more drills,” Koivan suggested. 

Shiro laughed at that and shook his head. If he tried to run any more drills between actual missions there may be a mutiny on his hands. He’d just have to find a good excuse to be visiting the area assigned over to the Marmora and specifically their doctor. “I think I’ll take my chances with the gossip.” 

“Of course. That’s up to you. But I find that the Blades can never have enough drills.” 

Shiro wondered if that was a Galran mindset since Keith always seemed to be pushing himself in training and his mother enjoyed making up training programs. Or maybe that sort of mindset was what made a good Blade. 

“Do you know when your doctor may be free?” Shiro asked. 

“Let me talk with her first so I can let her know you’re coming and why. Come by tomorrow and ask for Doctor Lathruk.”

Shiro nodded and stood sensing that their talk was over. He was just about to say goodbye when he thought of one more thing to ask Kolivan. “If I don’t smell like other adult humans, what do I smell like?” He asked. 

“You aren’t completely different compared to other humans. It’s hard to describe since we don’t share knowledge of the typical things scents would be compared to.”

“Could you try? Perhaps something you’ve smelled since being on Atlas or even on the castle ship.” And Shiro hoped that if it was something from the castle ship that he had encountered or it was one of the rare clone memories that he had access to. 

“Hmm well I would say you smell a bit sweeter and a little spicier. Like that dessert that was served the other day. I believe it was called pie.”

“The pumpkin one?” 

“Yes. I suppose that’s the closest I could put your scent to. It’s quite nice but while the undertones are similar to other adult male humans, the rest is not.” 

“And adult females?” Shiro asked. He assumed his scent would smell even less like them but since humans couldn’t scent others the way Galra could, he wasn’t quite sure what to expect. 

“Different again. Comparing your scent to an adult female human… I would say the base scent speaks of human but that is where the similarities end,” Kolivan said. 

Shiro was relieved that despite all the changes that may have been done to him that his scent still resonated more with human men. He didn’t even know why that comforted him like it did but he supposed it was nice to know his body wasn’t completely foreign. 

“Alright. Well, hopefully Doctor Lathruk will have more to tell me. If she can’t do tomorrow, just message me the new time,” Shiro said. 

“I will do so. And Shiro, I wouldn’t expect to see Keith today. Krolia mentioned something about tying him down and making sure he finally stopped avoiding her and learned things.” 

Shiro blinked. He couldn’t tell if Kolivan, and therefore Krolia, was serious about tying Keith down. But the part about making sure Keith stayed around long enough for a Galra crash course was probably true. He’d message Keith to check if he was busy with his mother or still planning on dinner together.

“Thank you for the warning. I guess it will give me more time to do my own reading,” Shiro said. 

“Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.” 

Shiro gave a friendly nod and then left the meeting room. That wasn’t how he expected the conversation with Kolivan to go at all. And while he didn’t leave with the information he thought he would, he certainly had learned a lot. Even if he also had more questions than ever. 

There was no point in worrying about them for now. He’d finish his rounds through the ship, work on some missed paperwork, and then retire early to do some reading. Hopefully between that and the doctor tomorrow most if not all of his current questions could be answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Apologies that this chapter had so little Keith and Shiro interaction. Somehow when I let Shiro have a pov chapter we ended up doing introspective thinking and work. 
> 
> I enjoyed exploring Shiro's doubts and vulnerabilities and his relationship with Matt and Kolivan. 
> 
> And I guess since I left this one on a bit of a cliffhanger that Shiro may get another pov chapter next. Unless Keith gets worried and comes barging in to take over and to fuss.


	3. A Burning Knowledge I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro gets his DNA results from the Galra doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! 
> 
> Though it looks like my muses demand more plot before we get to any more fun. 
> 
> (Also, I updated my tags to include mention of mpreg as Shiro and his doctor talk about it being a possibility among the Galra.)

“Fifty-three percent human…” Shiro muttered to himself as he looked at the easy to understand pie chart that Doctor Lathruk had made of her findings. It was considerate of her. But when Shiro had sat down and took the paper from her, he hadn’t expected to see the pie nearly split in half. He knew, though he was reluctant to acknowledge it, that he would no longer be 100% human. But he thought he would still be 90%, or mostly. Not this barely half. 

“We believe it’s closer to 63,” Doctor Lathruk said. “This ten percent here that is undefined is mostly human but with spliced or altered characteristics. It’s probably from your first time spent with the Empire.” 

Shiro looked at the little slice of the pie chart and felt a shudder run through him. Even when he had escaped with Ulaz’s help and escaped to Earth he had no longer been fully human. What exactly had the druids done to him that left this DNA so altered that it couldn’t even be fully identified? 

“Shiro, are you okay?” Doctor Lathruk asked. Shiro saw her hand hovering near his not quite touching but clearly wanting to offer comfort. Shiro was thankful she hadn’t touched him though. His mind was too filled with the horrors done to him by the Empire that if anyone had touched him, especially someone so clearly Galran, he would have reacted poorly. 

“Sorry.. Just wondering what it was they did to me. Is there any way to find out just what they were altering my DNA with or why?” Shiro asked. He already had a million questions and they hadn’t even gotten to the other slices of the pie chart. 

“Possibly to make you stronger. Humans seem to be weak to various common ailments and toxins in foods. And you mentioned a previous disease you were concerned about.” 

Shiro nodded at that. It made sense they’d want to keep him healthy and in fit condition to fight. He still didn’t remember everything that he went through in the arena but he knew he was a crowd pleaser. They didn’t call just anyone the Champion. 

“There’s also the chance they were seeing how far they could manipulate your DNA and what it would accomplish. Perhaps a chance of temperament or physical changes… There’s even the possibility they were considering you for a potential robeast, as you call them, in the future for when your arena career was coming to a close… It’s hard to say for sure. But it’s also something you won’t need to worry about now,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

She was obviously hesitant to share all of her hypothesis on why Shiro’s DNA was being toyed with but Shiro appreciated the candour. He didn’t like the possibilities but in a strange way, he felt better knowing just what his potential future could have been like if it weren’t for the kindness of Ulaz. He owed the Blades of Marmora a lot. 

“Alright. But even if it’s impossible to fully identify it’s stable, right?” Shiro was in no way an expert on DNA or even biology but he knew enough of the basics to know that if something was unstable it would cause problems in the future. 

“Yes. Your body accepts it as a regular part of the DNA coding and I don’t see any reason why it would cause you trouble in the future.” 

That was good enough for Shiro. His body didn’t feel like his own looking at the pie chart but at least it wouldn’t be turning against him again. He hoped. 

“The Galran DNA I can understand but it seems an odd amount. And what are these other two species?” The last two barely made up 5% each but he couldn’t understand why the scientists or druids in charge of the cloning project would think splicing in something other than Shiro’s own DNA and Galran DNA would be wise. 

“I imagine 27% was the maximum amount of Galran DNA they could mix into your own and have you still look like you. The point of the cloning experiment was to plant a clone into Voltron as a mole of some sort. That would have been hard to do if you looked too purple,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

Shiro smiled at the doctor’s attempt to lighten the mood. It was very true that being purple or having large ears or a tail would have been hard to explain away. Though considering all of the time he had spent away from the Castle Ship and the druids’ penchant for experimenting, it probably would have been easier to explain than the druids realized. He was still thankful they didn’t push the Galran percentage higher though. 

He didn’t hate the Galran as a people, though he loathed the Empire and what they had done to him, Earth, and the universe at large but he still didn’t want to become a Galra. He was human. With two human parents. 

He imagined some of what he was feeling now must have been what Keith felt like when he realized that he was not nearly as human as he looked and his mother wasn’t human at all. But at least he had always been that way. Shiro was discovering just how much his body had been changed without his consent or knowledge. 

“Is there a reason the druids would put Galra DNA in me to begin with?” Shiro asked. 

“That percentage of Galran DNA in you means you’d be able to interface with any panels in the Empire or operate any of the ships. They may have also needed other DNA to mix with yours to stabilize it and help give it form. Cloning is still a taboo science and not perfected. I suspect the druids used a mix of science, alchemy, and druidic magic to help create your current body.” 

“Keith said it was like a cloning factory… so it was probably a lot of trial and error before they found a method that worked.” And Shiro never wanted to think too closely on what had been happening in that factory or just what happened to the clones that had come before and after this one.

If he was a better man, he would plot a course to that wasteland of a factory and try to find out what had happened there. He could see if any clones had survived and what had become of them. But despite what his team and crew thought of him, he was not that selfless and good. Maybe one day he would be in a place mentally where he could confront that nightmare, but not today. 

“Between the body modifications and being able to implant the appropriate memories, I could see why they’d not get it right the first time… And that might explain these two inclusions,” The Doctor said pointing to the other alien races that Shiro wasn’t familiar with. 

“Something failed in their original mix of Galran with my DNA?” Shiro guessed. Though other than making him look too Galra, he couldn’t figure out what else might have gone wrong that they felt the need to include two other races. 

“You know that the Galra have specific mating needs, right?” 

Shiro nodded. It had only been a few days since he’d help Keith through one of those specific needs and most of the love bites were still visible above his uniform collar. “Kolivan explained a little bit to me. He said I have traits that make me desirable as a partner…” Shiro couldn’t help but wonder now if he always had those or if his new Galra DNA was making him more appealing somehow. 

“Galra society has many different levels in it beyond just the male and female designation a lot of races have. And it gets a bit convoluted, even for the Galra who on some level just instinctively know them. But to keep things simple for you, all Galra of a certain age have mating cycles. And yes, we can have children outside of these, it’s just a little more difficult,” Doctor Lathruk explained clearly sensing Shiro’s question. 

He was so intrigued by the differences between humans and Galra. Just because his first interactions with alien life wasn’t a pleasant one, didn’t mean his wonder at discovering alien worlds, plants, animals, and sentient beings was any less strong. The universe was large so there were bound to be unpleasant experiences. But being able to sit down and learn about unique alien races and their cultures and history was amazing. And it was also practical knowledge for himself and Keith. Which was strange and amazing in other ways. 

“And during these cycles, if they don’t have a partner they make their intentions known and court someone for that time?” Shiro asked just making sure he understood what Kolivan had told him and what he and Keith had been through. 

“Yes. The courtship of a partner can vary from group to group as the Galra is so spread out across the universe and different methods have developed over the centuries but typically it is always an honour to be courted but it is still expected that the interested party will work to gain their affection.”

Shiro nodded. He understood that much. “Alright. And is it the same for all the levels you mentioned?” Shiro wasn’t even sure what she meant by levels but hoped she could explain it. 

“It’s the same in that everyone experiences a cycle but the desires and outcomes of them can be different. And who they look for in partners can be quite different, too.” 

Shiro didn’t really understand but the doctor was looking at him for confirmation so he gave a hesitant nod. That seemed to be enough for her to continue speaking. 

“Maybe think of it as a scale… At one end, you have very aggressive Galra who are quite physical, brash, can take orders reluctantly but enjoy causing chaos more and the other end you have someone who listens well to instructions, likes taking care of others even before themselves and has endless patience. Now neither of these far end extremes are true ideals for the Galra but they do exist. But one end of the scale tends to be attracted to the other side... I’ve always wondered if because together they are more balanced in terms of traits and that perhaps instinctively our ancestors knew that they would have a better chance of creating balanced offspring. But even when society and technology evolves, it can take much longer for our bodies to catch up with it. So we still have mating cycles and archaic desires with it,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

Shiro’s mind reeled a little at this new knowledge and had to try and rethink how he considered the Galra and not compare it all to human culture and interactions. It was difficult since his first instinct was to shrug it off as a civilization taking personality traits too far. But he had seen what a mating cycle had done to Keith. And if it could affect someone who knew so little about the society such traits belonged to, then how much stronger would they be for a full Galra raised in that culture? 

“Alright, so we have the more aggressive type of Galra and the more homemaker types?” He asked, simplifying down a complicated culture even more to make sure he understood the basics. 

“Yes. Though the aggressive side can be just as doting and caring while the other side can be just as lethal if pushed to it. I’m sure you saw the caring side in Keith during his first rut,” The doctor said. 

And even though she said it so matter of fact and Shiro had even spoken to her about it, he still blushed a little. Talking about the sex was one thing, but somehow, bringing up the quiet intimate moments they shared between the sex felt even more private and embarrassing to speak about. 

“I did,” He said, hoping that his face wasn’t as red as it felt. “He made sure all of my needs were seen to.” And that was the most diplomatic and vague way to describe it but he wasn’t willing to share more than that. 

“Exactly. And Despite your desire to care for others and see they reach their full potential, you are more than willing to fight to keep them safe.” 

He had done just that when he had hurt Matt in order to save them. He had also become the Black Paladin without hesitation to help defend the universe. He didn’t enjoy killing and thought every life mattered but he would do what needed to be done to keep the team safe and to save the universe. 

“So Keith and I are on opposite sides of this scale,” Shiro said to confirm what the doctor was saying. It made sense since Keith’s instincts were encouraging him to pursue him though Shiro liked to think they’d be compatible at any time, even if they hadn’t had that talk yet. 

“Yes. But you’re both more central than my end of the scale examples. But I think that may be why they added extra alien DNA into your code,” She said. 

“Because I… wasn’t aggressive enough?” He didn’t think he was an overly aggressive person to begin with. He supposed his temper could get the better of him at times but training at the Garrison and dating Adam had helped him learn to control that part of himself. 

“Exactly. You may have been further down the scale before they added these two species into your system. This one is known for its aggressiveness and this one for its cunning and high intellect. They certainly were trying to give you every advantage they could. At least in their mind,” The doctor said, the last part hastily added on as Shiro frowned. 

He knew humans were rather weak and nothing special compared to a vast number of other species they’d met but he felt no shame in being human. To have some, well almost half, of that taken away and tampered with made him feel both angry and sick to his stomach. 

“Why not just give me Galra DNA that would situate me on this scale where they felt I should be?” Shiro asked. 

“Because it’s impossible to tell. I’m sure some clones were far too aggressive, even without the added DNA. Through their trials, they probably found that something like where you ended on the scale plus the additional alien DNA gave you the personality and traits best suited to you being you and to their cause.” 

Shiro sighed. He supposed he’d never fully know or even understand just what the druids and Haggar were up to when it came to him but it would be nice to be able to go up to them and shake the answers out of them. 

His body wasn’t his own and looking at the pie chart in his hands only emphasized how much it wasn’t. But if he wanted to embrace this body fully as his own and stop doubting if he had a right to be in it, he would have to accept every aspect of it. That meant the odd scars on the outside he couldn’t remember getting and the strange hodgepodge of DNA on the inside.

It wouldn’t happen at once but just knowing the different parts that made up his body was a good first step in accepting it. 

“It’s hard to judge easily if I’ve changed since so much has happened since I left Earth but I think I feel like myself,” Shiro said. Minus those times when he worried about being a body thief or if he was even actually free of Black and the lion had just gotten better at distracting him he felt like he thought he should. 

“That’s good to know. Though I think while we continue to work together we should try for semi-regular check-ups. Just to make sure that your body truly is stable and there’s no deterioration of any genes or cells,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

“Alright. How often are you thinking?” 

“Perhaps once a month for now. Also, there’s one more matter that I want to discuss with you.” 

That seemed serious and made Shiro frown. “What is it?”

“You’re over a quarter Galra now. And while it hasn’t affected your physical appearance it may affect more of your mental state or instinctive needs than you realize. The fact that you partnered with Keith so easily during his rut could be a sign of that,” She said. 

Shiro frowned. “I might have a rut?” 

“They’re typically called heats for those on the other end of the scale. Like I said before any male and female Galra together can couple and potentially produce a child outside of heats and ruts but during them, things can get a bit interesting and there are more options for children,” Doctor Lathruk said. She was looking a bit uncomfortable at discussing this though her tone remained steady and professional. 

Perhaps she was just reacting to the stunned look on Shiro’s face. “More options?” He had to be misunderstanding something. 

“You have to have noticed that half-Galrans aren’t exactly rare. We’re an incredibly virile and fertile race in the right circumstances,” she said.

“So two men…” Shiro didn’t even know how to ask that question. 

“Under the right circumstances could produce a child. Just like two women. Or in rare cases a man carrying a woman’s child,” She said calmly. 

Shiro felt the blood drain from his face as those words echoed in his head. Two men could create a child. The Galra were extremely virile in their ruts. Under the right circumstances… Shit. 

“Umm… Am I… Does that mean… I just…” He didn’t even know what he was trying to ask. It felt so stupid to be worried about being pregnant but he was pretty sure that’s what the doctor just implied was possible. And Shiro really felt like he needed to sit down except he already was sitting down. 

He let the paper fall to the desk and leaned forward, bracing his head in his hands as he tried to take calm even breaths. He thought he was handling the news that he over a third alien now and that the druids had enjoyed tinkering with his inner workings far too much. But this? This was one thing too much for him to bear. 

“Shiro, I need you to take even breaths for me. Just keep doing what you’re doing but try to follow my lead. Slow them down, take deeper breaths.” Doctor Lathruk coached him through his breathing until they were deep and calm and his head no longer felt like it was swimming. He took a few more breaths just to be sure before he raised his hand. 

That was a new record. Two panic attacks during the day in less than a week and neither caused directly by memories of the Empire. At least Kolivan nor the doctor would ever speak of it with anyone. 

“I’m okay now. I’m sorry… that was just… a bit unexpected,” Shiro said. He tried to give a smile but he could tell it was stretched thin and forced so he gave up on it and just leaned back in his chair. 

“No. I should apologize. I know a lot of species that are strictly binary and they never seem to take it well that other races are more fluid or have different reproductive needs. The Galra aren’t even the strangest of them out there,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

Shiro didn’t know if that knowledge was helpful or not but he tried to take the comfort where he could so nodded at it. “I’ll try to be more open-minded.” As the leader of the Atlas and the one who would often be in charge of negotiations and peace talks going forward, he would have to be more open in his thinking of other cultures. Though Shiro was sure that would be much easier to do when it wouldn’t affect him directly. 

“That’s all any race can ask of another. To be open-minded and to learn and understand instead of passing judgement. Different isn’t wrong.”

“I know that. I don’t think the Galra way of mating or instincts or the scale of personalities or anything is wrong. It’s just not something I thought would apply to me. At least not directly.” Shiro had been happy to put up with any and all of it for Keith. But that was before he knew it would affect him, too. 

“I’m glad to hear that. And I’m sorry it’s something you now have to concern yourself with. But at least you have Keith to talk to. He might be more Galran than you but I believe his situation is similar in many ways.” 

Shiro nodded. It was true. Keith was still struggling to learn about his Galra heritage and what that all meant. His rut had taught them both a lot about the Galra and made them realize just how much they still needed to learn. Just because they came to their Galra instincts or DNA in different ways, didn’t mean they couldn’t learn together or that he couldn’t ask Keith for insights. 

“And you should know that when I got the results of your DNA, I used some of your blood samples to run other tests. Nothing was made from the rut you shared with Keith other than good memories,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

It took Shiro a moment to realize that the doctor was telling him she ran a pregnancy test and that it had clearly come up negative. He felt equal amounts of relief at not being pregnant and horror that it was even a concern in his life. As a gay man, he didn’t think pregnancy fears were something he’d ever have to worry about, let alone with him being the pregnant one. 

“Uhh… thanks. Is that going to be a common concern?” He asked. 

“There’s a lot of factors to consider. Because you’re only about a quarter Galra, I think your fertility would be much lower than others around the same point on the scale as you. Perhaps if you shared a rut with a full-blooded Galra, the possibilities would be higher for conception. But with Keith being half Galra himself, I think you two will be safe. If that’s something you both want to continue, of course. There are also precautions you can both take just to be sure. But doing some more tests could give us more answers, too,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

That was a lot to take in and not the resounding no that Shiro was hoping for. What kind of weird race had such a crazy evolution that they decided their bodies needed mating cycles and pregnant men?! And he didn’t even want to figure out how he was going to have this type of conversation with Keith. Though he supposed having any conversation with Keith would be the first step. 

Since Keith’s rut had ended, Krolia had all but kidnapped her son and had been limiting their communication. Shiro knew that Krolia was giving Keith a crash course in Galra mating and making sure he followed the general guideline of giving a rut partner a few days to clear their head. But seeing Keith for a few minutes in large briefings or a couple text messages a day was not what Shiro wanted right now. 

He’d send Keith a message after his appointment and try to figure out how soon they could talk about things. They had a lot to talk about and Shiro really wanted to start working some of these things out. 

“What type of tests would you want to run?” Shiro asked finally. He couldn’t worry about precautions until after he and Keith were on the same page. 

“I want to scan your organs. See if you show any signs of being able to conceive and carry children. I’d also like to track your hormones in our monthly meetings when we check your DNA. We need to figure out if you’ll have a heat and what that will mean for you, too.” 

“Alright. And you can tell me how they differ from ruts, too?” Shiro asked. 

“Of course. I’m more than happy to answer any questions you have about your body or even Galran culture. I know this is a lot for you to take in and I want to make this as easy for you as possible.”

“And I appreciate it. It’s just a lot more than I was expecting,” Shiro said. 

“Life usually is. But you can at least rest assured that your body is strong and healthy and while there’s still a few mysteries to solve I don’t think you need to worry about them affecting your daily life or your mission,” Doctor Lathruk said and gave her best encouraging smile. 

Shiro returned it. Considering all of the overwhelming news he’d gotten at today's visit and all the dire news he was used to getting from doctors on Earth before the Kerberos mission, this appointment at least ended on a good note. He was healthy and fit for work. With the universe relying on Atlas and Voltron, that was definitely good news. 

“Thanks. And I’ll be sure to come by if I have questions or anything comes up.” 

“Good. I’ll send you a reminder of your next appointment. Just try to visit that day or in the next couple of days following it. I know as the Atlas commander your time isn’t always your own.”

“No. But as long as we’re not actively engaged with someone or in the middle of a mission, I’ll find time for you.” His health was important and not something he could neglect. 

“Then unless you have any more questions for me, you’re free to go,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

Shiro was sure he had a million questions but he needed time to process everything he learned first. “Not at the moment,” He said. “Oh, but can I keep this?” He gestured to the print out of the pie chart of his DNA. While he was figuring things out, he thought the physical proof of what was invisible inside of him could be useful. And assuming he could get Keith away from his mother and talk to him, it might be easier to show him the pie chart than explain everything himself.

“Go ahead, Shiro. It’s completely up to you what you do with that and who you tell,” Doctor Lathruk said. 

“Thank you,” Shiro said. He took the paper and folded it up and tucked it into an inside pocket of his uniform. The doctor and him made their farewell greetings before he stepped out into the hall. 

He took a deep breath working to centre himself. It wouldn’t do to be seen leaving the Blades of the Marmora area on the Atlas looking out of sorts.

Just when he thought he felt composed enough, Keith and Kosmo appeared in front of him and then pushed into him, nearly knocking him over. He reached out to brace himself with a hand on Keith’s shoulder. 

“Keith?” He asked in surprise. 

“Shiro? Oh! Shiro! Sorry,” Keith said. But the smile growing on his face said he didn’t really feel that sorry. 

“What are you doing here?” Keith asked as he took in just where Kosmo has popped him into. 

“I was about to ask you that,” Shiro said. He was pretty sure Keith’s last message to him said that he wouldn’t be able to escape Krolia and her lectures for another day. 

“Nothing?” Keith asked looking every inch like the troublemaker he was when the first met. 

Shiro snorted. He was not falling for that one at all. “If I invited you to my office for tea would we both get into trouble?” 

Keith shifted his weight from one foot to the other and back again. “Can we go somewhere less… public?”

“Hiding from someone?” Shiro only needed one guess to figure out who exactly he was hiding from. 

“No… I was just thinking that Black has probably missed me. And you. You don’t visit her enough,” Keith said. 

It was amazing how bad Keith was at lying despite his penchant for getting into trouble. It was rather charming. 

“Alright. Let’s visit Black,” Shiro said. 

Keith reached out to him to grab his human hand and place it on top of Kosmo with his own. “Great. Then you can tell me what you’re doing here.”

Damn. Shiro wasn’t sure he was ready for that talk even if he knew it was something they needed to discuss. Unfortunately, before he could make an excuse to put off that talk, Kosmo zapped them into the hangar where Black sat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Keith appears at the worst/best time. 
> 
> Sorry for ending it there but I wanted to switch to Keith's POV for the next part and felt this was a good place to stop. 
> 
> And of course, all of those main parts on this Galra spectrum from the sort of super Alpha to super Omega have different names. But they would have all been in Galra and mean nothing to Shiro so Doctor Lathruk was working really hard to simplify so Shiro with his human notions could understand it.


	4. A Burning Knowledge II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith and Shiro finally get to talk about what's been going on the last few days and what they want from each other after the shared rut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year! 
> 
> If all my pseudoscience doctor talk from the previous chapter left anyone confused this chapter should clear up the main points as Shiro and Keith talk about it and then celebrate the end of talking...

Keith kept hold of Shiro’s hand as he dragged him inside of Black. Only once the lion had raised his head making it difficult for anyone else to easily get inside did he relax. He more calmly walked Shiro into the cockpit and finally released his hand before flopping down on the chair. 

“You know. If you want me to believe you aren’t hiding from Krolia, you should have tried to act less panicked,” Shiro said with a fond chuckle. 

“It’s your fault for being literally ten feet down the hall from her. I told Kosmo to take me to you, thinking you’d be on the bridge or training or something…” Keith said. He may have panicked slightly when he saw that Kosmo had taken him so close to his mother when he was trying to escape her and her incessant worrying and Galra lectures. 

It was still new enough to him that it was nice to be fussed over and have a mother who cared that much about him. But he never really considered just how stressful and tiring it was to have a super kickass mom focus all of that spy training onto him. All he’d wanted to do was visit Shiro so they could talk. And about other things than Voltron and Atlas which were fine for meetings but less fine when you wanted to see where you and your best friend stood after several days of the most fantastic sex. 

“Sorry. Next time you’re planning a jailbreak from the Blades, I’ll make sure to better situate myself.” Shiro leaned back against a console and gently stroked Black with his hand. 

“Well, hopefully there won’t be any more jailbreaks. I didn’t realize my mother was such a traditionalist…” He sighed and swivelled his chair around so he could better look at Shiro. Kosmo took it as a cue for him to come over and rest his head on Keith’s knee and Keith absently reached over to pet him.

“What do you mean?”

“Apparently it’s traditional to stay away from your bond partner for five days after you finish. But most Galra think it’s fine to meet back up with a rut partner after three days. Especially if both partners aren’t full Galra. And since I’m only half Galra and you’re human, I don’t see why Krolia was enforcing the five day rule.” 

It didn’t help that Krolia thought to use all that time to go over a bunch of Galra sex ed and customs with him that she didn’t think to cover while on the space whale. And when she was busy with other things, Kolivan oh so kindly had dropped off a pile of mission reports he wanted Keith to familiarize himself with. 

He was going stir crazy and while he knew it was all important he needed a break and to get out of there. So that’s when he finally called in Kosmo to come and save him and take him to Shiro. He still wasn’t quite over his shock at finding Shiro in the corridors of the Blades of Marmora area. 

Looking at Shiro, Keith realized he had gone quiet and he was less petting Black as he was just fidgeting. Huh, that was new. “Shiro?” He asked. 

“Oh… that uh… must have been tough for you. I’m glad you escaped early though,” Shiro said. His Altean hand was hovering awkwardly near his chest, fingers twitching lightly. 

“Yeah. Me, too. You’ve been okay these last few days, right?” And then Keith had the horrible thought of just why Shiro might need a Galran doctor. “I… I didn’t hurt you, did I?” He thought Shiro had been okay. He’d been as careful as he could and Shiro had seemed fine that morning when they parted. Had something happened later? 

“What?! Of course not, Keith. I’m fine. I admit it’s been a while since I’ve had that much sex in one go. And you were pretty vigorous a few times… but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle… or didn’t enjoy,” Shiro said, keeping eye contact even as his cheeks heated red. 

“Good.” Keith felt a bit embarrassed still at how focused he had been on Shiro, and how sort of sexually aggressive he’d been but he also couldn’t help but feel pride at Shiro’s words. He’d pleased his partner and hadn’t crossed any limits. 

But that also left him confused. If it wasn’t from too much sex, why would Shiro need to visit the doctor? He eyed the fading bites around Shiro’s neck that he could see but they all seemed to be healing fine and that’s where the worst of the bites were concentrated. So he didn’t think any of the other bites had gotten affected. 

“If it’s not that, then why were you visiting Doctor Lathruk?” 

“I… well…”

Shiro looked so uncomfortable trying to answer and then Keith realized just how rude he was being. It was no longer the seven of them in a castle ship defending the universe. They had a crew, they had a coalition, they had support. Just because anything could have affected the team before didn’t mean it would now. And if Shiro wanted privacy for some issue, Keith should give it to him. Even if it felt weird to not share everything between them. 

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked,” Keith said. Kosmo picked that moment to decide he was satisfied with the petting he’d got and retreated to the corner of the cockpit to curl up for a nap. Keith watched him go so he wouldn’t have to look at Shiro and make him feel pressured into answering him.  
“If you were just a subordinate or a colleague, I might agree. But we’ve been through so much. And secrets never help. And I don’t even think it’s that much of a secret. Kolivan was the one who told me I should go,” Shiro said. 

“Really? Why?”

“He told me that now that he’s had more time to familiarize himself with other adult male scents, that mine was distinctly off.” 

Keith turned back toward Shiro to look at him and saw that he seemed rather annoyed. Keith wondered if it was from being told there was something wrong with his scent or because Galra were scenting him. 

Keith had discovered his own nose was more powerful than that of a regular human, but also not nearly as strong as a Galran’s. And even if he was rude enough to lean forward and deeply inhale inside the closed confines of Black, he didn’t think it would help him identify anything odd about Shiro. He smelled like safety, home, and everything Keith desired. 

It had changed since he’d come back after being rescued from the Galra a second time but Keith had just put that up to being held captive and whatever the druids liked to do to him. He hadn’t been about to interrogate Shiro on it. 

Now he knew it was because it was a clone. And while Shiro didn’t smell 100% exactly like he had before Kerberos or even after he came back to Earth, he still smelled like Shiro. He was too biased to notice anything off or strange. 

“I think I like your scent too much to say it’s different from other human males,” Keith admitted. And that got him a small smile from Shiro so it was worth admitting something that potentially embarrassing. 

“Well, he did say it didn’t smell bad. Just not normal. He said I smelled like pumpkin pie,” Shiro gave a small chuckle at that and rubbed the back of his head with his human hand. “It was a little weird having Kolivan try to tell me what I smelled like.” 

“Yeah… Galran culture can be a bit weird at times. But they usually mean well.” At least when the Empire wasn’t involved. “And I think I like his answer.” And now Keith really wanted pumpkin pie. 

“I guess there are worse things to be compared to,” Shiro said. He was relaxing again, his hands no longer twitching and fidgeting. But Keith had a feeling it was only because Shiro had decided on his course of action, not because this conversation was about to get easier. 

“The locker room at the Garrison,” Keith suggested. Trying to keep the conversation light for just a bit longer. 

Shiro scrunched his face and shook his head. “Don’t remind me. That many teenage boys should never be allowed to be together in a confined space after sweating without lots of windows and proper ventilation,” Shiro said. 

Keith laughed but had to agree. It smelled even worse to him but it was always nice to know that some things everyone could smell and dislike equally. 

“At least Atlas has plenty of air vents and filtration systems,” Keith said. Even he barely smelled anything strange when in the locker room for the training facility.”

“She’s quite a marvel. Sam and the engineers did an amazing job. As well as Coran’s… what does he call him? Well his great grandfather or whatever, too,” Shiro said. And there was no ignoring the pride in his voice or the way Black’s console lights flashed in an annoyed way. 

“I think someone’s jealous,” Keith said as he reached out to pat Black’s console. 

Shiro smiled as he looked around the inside of the cockpit. “Black has no reason to be jealous. She has the best pilot out of all of us with her,” Shiro said. “Besides, we’ll always share a bond.”

Keith grinned at the compliment though he wouldn’t take the title of the best pilot until he and Shiro could go on a few races against each other. But he was pretty confident he could win. “Do you still feel a connection to her?” He asked instead of challenging him to a race in the MFE jets. 

Shiro nodded and stroked fingers down a stretch of wall. “After the time we spent together it would be impossible to not feel a connection. I could probably fly Black if I needed to, but I think being the captain of Atlas suits me better just like being the head of Voltron does you. You’ve come a long way, Keith. I knew you could get here,” Shiro said. 

Keith nodded and tried not to do anything ridiculous like cry at the praise or at remembering how he had almost lost Shiro. “Thank you. And I know leading Atlas suits you better than it would anyone else in the Garrison.” Shiro had real-world experience in facing the Empire and being part of an alien coalition. 

He also looked hot at the helm, but Keith was keeping that thought to himself. 

“It’s given me a purpose and I like being able to lead people and be a part of the coalition and support Voltron. I worried that with one arm and no lion, I would no longer be able to help,” Shiro said. 

Keith frowned at him. Shiro was still more dangerous and competent with just one arm than most people were with two. “Even without Atlas, there would have been a role for you to fill, Shiro. You’re too important to the coalition and to Voltron to be forgotten,” Keith said. He hoped the words ‘you’re too important to me’ made it across too despite being unvoiced. 

“Thanks. But it seems things have worked out how they should have,” Shiro said as he looked around Black and then smiled at Keith sitting in the pilot chair. 

“You always were pretty adamant that I’d make a good leader,” Keith said. 

“And was I wrong?” 

“At first… I was really bad when I took over… I was too hot-headed and just felt like everyone should be able to do what I could,” Keith said. It was difficult to admit but he felt enough time had passed that he could confidently say he was no longer that person. And Shiro wasn’t the type of leader who held past faults against you as long as you learned from them. 

“You may have become the leader a little before you were ready but you rose to the challenge in the end,” Shiro said. 

Keith nodded. It had been a bit of a struggle and he still had moments where he had to remind himself to calm down or listen to the advice of the others but he was confident as the head of Voltron now and knowing Shiro was proud of him helped a lot, too. 

“Thanks,” He said and gave Shiro a soft smile. 

They stayed like that for a moment, comfortable in the quiet and each other’s company before Shiro reached into his jacket and pulled out a paper. He unfolded it and looked at it before folding it up again. 

Keith’s curiosity was peaked but he wasn’t going to rush Shiro on this. 

“You know how you said three days was enough for us?” Shiro asked. 

Keith blinked at the abrupt change in topic and going so far back in the conversation but he nodded. Was Shiro’s doctor visit about being his rut partner after all? 

“Yeah. Why? Are you still feeling weird around me?” Keith asked. 

“No. It’s just that… well… you weren’t exactly right.” 

“What do you m-Shiro. What is it?” Keith asked as he stood up from the chair and moved closer to Shiro. He didn’t want him to feel boxed in but he wanted to show his support. 

Shiro passed over the paper and Keith took it. His fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded it. Anything could be written on it and his mind supplied all of the worst possible scenarios. Once it was opened he blinked down at the paper not expecting such a colourful pie chart. But then he took in the words by each slice and percentage. 

“Shiro… is this you?” He asked. If it was, and he had no reason to think that Shiro would share anyone else’s DNA breakdown with him then that meant that Shiro wasn’t 100% human even more and was about a quarter Galra.

“It was a bit of a shock to see,” Shiro said. 

Keith nodded, he knew exactly how it felt to find out you weren’t nearly as human as you had assumed. “But just like with me, it doesn’t change anything. You’re still you. Even if you aren’t quite as human as you thought,” Keith said. He reached out and placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze. 

“It’s just a lot to take in. I already feel like a body thief half the time. And now to find out this body is so different from how it was... “ Shiro drifted off with a sigh. His shoulders slumped forward slightly and he closed his eyes. 

Keith hated to see Shiro doubt himself or in pain. But he didn’t think words would help right now. So instead he stepped close enough to press himself against Shiro and wrap his arms around him in a hug. He didn’t care what a DNA chart said. Shiro was still Shiro and no amount of druid tampering would change that. 

Shiro stood stiffly for a moment before giving a shaky exhale and hugging back tightly.

Keith didn’t keep track of how long they remained like that but when Shiro’s arms around him finally loosened and they slowly pulled apart, Keith thought Shiro looked less lost. 

“Thanks,” Shiro said. 

“Anytime.” He gave Shiro a comforting smile and then passed the paper back over to him. That sort of information was good to know, especially from a medical standpoint, but to Keith, it didn’t change who Shiro was to him. 

Though he guessed it did change how their biology might interact. And after three days of lectures from Krolia it was hard to not have his thoughts drift to those things. 

“Uhh… I know this is probably not the best time to ask… and it’s going to be a weird question. But I found out more about Galran mating habits and well…” Keith took a breath to figure out just how to phrase that some men could get pregnant from other men without it sounding totally stupid. Fortunately, Shiro saved him from having to figure it out. 

“Me, too. I got a bit of a rundown about them from the doctor,” Shiro said, looking at a random control panel instead of at Keith. 

“Do you think that means you know… can…” Keith drifted off, also suddenly finding that random control panel quite interesting. 

“I don’t know. Doctor Lathruk didn’t think it’d be possible, or at least not easy, for us. She’s going to keep an eye on my hormones and run more tests.”

Keith was impressed at how evenly Shiro’s voice came out as he said that, especially since a quick stolen glance told him that Shiro was very red and still looking uncomfortable by the conversation. Not that Keith could blame him. He didn’t think there were many men who would handle the possibility of suddenly being able to get pregnant well. Especially when in the middle of a universal war. 

“I’m sorry you have to go through this,” Keith said. It was his surprise rut and lack of understanding about it that had forced Shiro to have to worry about this possibility and to have to think about his current genetic makeup at all. 

“It’s not your fault. It’s just one more strike against the Empire. Especially the druids who seem happy to do whatever they want to people’s bodies. I’m hoping that if we come across them, we can capture them and interrogate them for information. But I know that won’t be easy.” 

“Nothing worth doing is easy. Right? I’m sure between all of us, we’ll figure out a way to capture and detain a druid,” Keith said, able to look at Shiro again as they moved away from the awkward topic. 

“You’re right,” Shiro said. He gave him a soft smile and reached out to give Keith’s arm a light squeeze. 

“Hey, Shiro….? Do you think we should hunt for more information in old facilities or databases? Or maybe even look for the clones? I can’t be sure they were all destroyed in that battle… or that it was the only place making them.” Hoping to come across a druid who knew something didn’t seem nearly proactive enough. 

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. I know it’s important to find out more about his program and if they planned anything more for it. But I’m not sure I can be that selfless yet,” Shiro said and it sounded like it pained him to admit that. Keith couldn’t blame him. 

“I understand… but you know… the clones are innocent in this. They didn’t ask to be made. Or to be given your memories. Or your traumas. I know it’s like a complete horror movie type of mind fuck. But maybe you can think of them identical twins?” 

Keith knew it was asking a lot and that no amount of imagining he suddenly had identical siblings would really help but the clones didn’t ask for this. Keith had interacted enough with the clone of Shiro to know that he was a good guy and while he was flawed, he didn’t deserve the fate he got. The clone apparently even started doubting things and having trouble with the memories. Keith wondered if any clones survived if they thought they were the real Shiro or were suffering doubts and fears. Maybe he was more selfish than Shiro because even though Keith knew he had the real Shiro in front of him, a part of him didn’t want to see any Shiro suffer, even a copy. 

“I’ve never had siblings… maybe it would be nice to have one,” Shiro said. Though the small smile he gave was strained and didn’t reach his eyes. “You really think we should do this?” 

“Whether we find more clones or just information, it could help you understand yourself and your body more.” 

“My body…” It was clear that Shiro was still doubting that this body was his and Keith wouldn’t stand for it. 

“It’s yours, Shiro. You’re the one who feels things in it. That moves it. And you’re the only one who gets to decide what happens to that body now.” 

“Even in bed?” Shiro asked. 

Keith turned bright red and sputtered slightly. He wasn’t expecting such an abrupt turn in the conversation. “O-only if th-that’s something you want… it’s still your choice!” Keith knew he got a bit bossy during his rut. And he knew that people liked to be bossed around or get even more controlling. He wasn’t sure where he and Shiro fell on that spectrum but if it was ever something Shiro wanted to explore then Keith was willing to research the hell out of that and do it for him. 

“Good to know,” Shiro said with a larger smile, this one much less strained. “And give me some time to think about the clone project. But if you want to ask Kolivan to put out some feelers about it, I wouldn’t object,” Shiro said. 

“Alright. I’ll do that. And who knows how long it might take for us to hear something. Or if there’s even anything to discover,” Keith said. 

Shiro looked down at the paper still in his hand and tucked it away back in his uniform jacket and then leaned back against the side console again, seeming lost in his thoughts. 

Keith took the few steps back to his chair and sat in it and swivelled to face out the front of the lion. Not that there was anything to distract him there, the screens were dark, not even showing the hangar. 

Having lost three years after that fight with Lotor, it would be hard to pick up the trail of any escaped clones or find leads to the program but it was worth trying. These clones had Shiro’s memories and had memories of Keith and his commitment to be there for Shiro and support him. The original Shiro or not, Keith couldn’t stand the thought of letting any of them down. 

But there was nothing he could do for those clones now if any of them had even survived. Right now it was time to focus on the Shiro in front of him and maybe try to sort things out between them. 

“Shiro,” He called softly to get his attention. He didn’t want to startle Shiro from his thoughts after being quiet for so long. 

“Yeah, Keith?” Shiro said and stepped away from the console so he could better see him. 

Keith turned his chair and his knees nearly brushed Shiro’s. “I was hoping to talk about what happened. And what we want to happen now,” He said. He looked up to meet Shiro’s eyes and felt his own soften at just how Shiro was looking at him. 

“I enjoyed what happened. And I’m pretty sure you did, too. So what do you want to happen?” Shiro asked. 

“More?” Keith asked not sure how to say that he wanted Shiro full stop and would take him any way he could get him but hopefully in all ways. 

“Me, too,” Shiro said. 

“So… we’re dating?” Keith asked just to be sure because he didn’t want to assume that Shiro’s more and his more were the same things. And also because he’d never actually dated someone and wasn’t really sure how this worked. 

“I’d like that. And it means you can always come to me for any of your ruts,” Shiro said before leaning down to kiss him. 

As if Keith would even think about going to anyone else for his ruts when he had Shiro willing to help with them. But he forgot how to speak when Shiro kissed him. Their first proper kiss outside of rut fuelled hormones. 

When Shiro pulled back, Keith’s hand rose to pull him back down but Shiro gave a laugh and resisted Keith’s silent demand for more kisses. 

“There’s something I wanted to do with you but you didn’t seem up for in your rut,” Shiro said. 

“Uh… okay. What?” Keith asked. They had done a lot during his rut and the only thing that popped up in his mind was Shiro topping him. He wasn’t against trying it but did Shiro want to fuck him inside of Black? It might be a bit uncomfortable but he wouldn’t say no. But he also didn’t think Shiro was the type to carry lubricant around in his pocket so sex could be tricky. 

“This,” Shiro said. And before Keith could question what this was, Shiro had grabbed a hold of his knees and pushed them apart before sinking to his own knees between them. 

Wow. If he hadn’t already been aching hard from Shiro’s kisses he would be now. “You want to give me a blowjob?” He asked, not even sure how he managed to form words when his brain still seemed to be stuck on replaying the image of Shiro dropping down onto his knees between his legs. 

He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to pilot Black again without getting hard. It might make things awkward when they formed Voltron but it would be worth it. 

“Is that okay?” Shiro asked, his hands rubbing up along Keith’s thighs but not yet moving to the fastening of his pants as if Keith might say no. 

“More than. Let me help you,” Keith said. He tugged up his uniform jacket and then fumbled with his button for a moment before getting it undone. He was just about to go for his zipper when Shiro’s hands brushed his and pushed them away. 

“Let me. I want to make you feel good. Just enjoy it” 

Keith wondered if this was all a crazy wet dream he was having and he’d wake up embarrassed and with his mother still lecturing him about sexual customs of the Galra. There was no way this was his real life. 

But he was going to enjoy every second of it just in case it wasn’t a dream. He nodded and leaned back, hands clutching the arms of the chair to resist the urge to touch. 

Shiro gave him a soft sweet smile that really had no place being on someone’s face as they pulled down his zipper but Keith still found himself returning it. He never would have guessed that getting a blow job could be so sweet. 

Though there was nothing sweet about the way Shiro licked his lips as he pulled Keith’s hard cock from his clothes and stared at it with hunger in his eyes.

Keith was about to be devoured and all he could do was let out a breathy moan and lift his hips a little to encourage Shiro to do more than just look. 

“Impatient?” Shiro asked as if they were waiting in line at a fast food place instead of holding onto Keith’s hard cock in Black about to give him a blowjob. 

Keith gave a soft growl that surprised him a little but only made Shiro grin. He guessed Shiro was used to those noises since he remembered making them a lot in his rut. He hadn’t thought it was something that would become a normal thing though. “Shiro…” 

“Patien-”

“If you finish that, I’m going to be forced to kill you,” Keith said. Now was not the time for life lessons even if that was a catchphrase that had helped out Keith more than Shiro probably realized. 

Shiro chuckled at the threat and gave Keith a light stroke. “Sorry. Just wanted to see how you’d react. I didn’t really get a chance to tease you during your rut.” 

“I don’t think I like teasing,” Keith said, his voice shaky as he tried to keep control of himself. He shouldn’t be this desperate when he’d hardly been touched. But this was Shiro doing the touching and the teasing and it still felt like a dream. 

“Hmmm maybe when we’re in bed I’ll see if I can change your mind,” Shiro said, his voice low and his eyes filled with promise. 

“Holy sh-Shiro! Don’t say things like that,” Keith said before letting out a strangled moan. His cock twitched, pre-come dripping from the head. He had a horrible thought of Shiro getting him off on words alone and how embarrassing that would be. 

“Why? I think you like it,” Shiro said. He stroked his hand some more, brushing his thumb across Keith’s head to collect the fluids that had gathered and spread it around. 

“Better things you can use your mouth for.” He wasn’t going to deny he liked the words coming out of Shiro’s mouth but they could save that torment for another time. 

Shiro just watched him for a moment, a large smile on his face as he stroked Keith casually. Keith was just about to give another frustrated growl when Shiro finally lowered his head and pressed his lips to the head of Keith’s cock in a chaste kiss. 

“Shiro…” Keith was barely restraining himself. Already he was gripping the arms of the chair and practically shaking with trying not to move. 

“You can touch if you want,” Shiro said against his cock right before he licked the underside of it. 

“Oh thank God.” He reached out and ran fingers through Shiro’s hair and tried so hard not to push or tug but he knew he wasn’t completely successful. Thankfully, Shiro didn’t seem to mind. 

Shiro licked him all over, clearly exploring his cock in detail before finally wrapping his lips around the head and taking him into his hot wet mouth. Shiro teased the head with his tongue and suction, his large hand stroking the rest of him. Keith felt his toes curling in his uniform boots at just how good Shiro was at this.

And then Shiro made a delightful humming noise right before he took the rest of Keith into his mouth and down his throat. 

“Oh my God. Sh-Shiro!” Keith yelled, his head falling back with a loud thunk. He swore his vision whited out for a moment but he forced himself to keep his eyes open and focused down though. He didn’t want to miss a moment of Shiro between his legs with his nose pressed right against his trimmed hair. And wow, was he thankful he showered earlier.

All he got in response was more humming which Keith swore vibrated through him right down to his soul. Shiro’s mouth was heaven sent and his hormone fuelled rut version of himself was a complete idiot to deny this. 

Keith wanted this amazing feeling to last forever but he could already feel the pleasure coalescing at the base of his spine, signalling his impending orgasm. “Sh-Shiro… c-cloo-ohhh yess,” He moaned out as he tried to warn Shiro. 

Shiro seemed determined to ignore him, though he did stop deep throating him, his lips and tongue now focused on the head of his cock, the rest being stroked by Shiro’s human hand, the Altean one holding him in his seat with no chance of him moving his hips.

With one last loud moan, his breath caught in his throat and he tugged hard on Shiro’s hair as he came. He swore for a moment he’d enter the plane of existence where the lions slept. That’s how good it was. 

At some point, he had closed his eyes and Keith forced them back open as he panted heavily. Shiro was still between his legs currently holding Keith’s cock lightly with one hand while he licked his lips and looked back up at him. “Good?” He asked. 

Considering Keith was still having trouble remembering his own name, it was certainly more than just good. But the ability to talk hadn’t returned yet so he gave an enthusiastic nod instead. 

Shiro just grinned at that response. He brushed a thumb against his own mouth and chin where it was clear he hadn’t quite managed to swallow everything neatly. And then to Keith’s amazement, he sucked his thumb into his mouth. 

It was official. Shiro was trying to kill him. 

He made a strangled noise and that just made Shiro’s smile grow somehow ever wider. 

If Keith wasn’t already willing to search the universe for him and fight against any of Shiro’s enemies that smile would certainly have made him do so. 

“Shiro,” He finally managed to sigh out, fingers carding through Shiro’s short hair. 

“If you ever want one again, just let me know. I like giving them,” Shiro said. 

Keith’s brain short-circuited for a moment as he realized that dating Shiro meant being able to ask for things like this. What an incredible perk. 

And then his brain kicked in again and reminded him not to be selfish. “Uh… can I… help you?” He asked. Not his smoothest line but Shiro had just sucked out most of his brain power through his dick so he hoped Shiro was forgiving.

“No need. Like I said, I like giving them.” He gestured to his crotch, and while he was still smiling, a light blush covered his cheeks at the confession. 

Keith managed to make jellied muscles work so he could lean forward a bit and see Shiro’s crotch and the wet spot forming on the front of his pants. Thank goodness their uniform jackets were long enough to cover that. 

And then Keith remembered that Shiro’s hands had been on him most of the time. Did Shiro come essentially untouched just by giving him head? “That’s so hot,” Keith said, not even noticing he’d said that aloud until Shiro chuckled. 

“Maybe. But it doesn’t feel that great now,” Shiro admitted. But he seemed pleased that Keith found it hot. Like there was any other reaction to Shiro getting off on giving him pleasure. He was new to relationships but he wasn’t an idiot. 

“I guess we should go clean up.” 

Shiro nodded. “I’ve probably missed at least one meeting by now and I’d be surprised if Krolia hasn’t started looking for you,” Shiro said.

“I’m hoping Kolivan still has her distracted. But I guess she’s going to smell us on each other even if I sneak back in.” He wasn’t too concerned. Even with some Galra DNA in Shiro, Keith still felt that three days was more than enough time for them to get over the pheromones or whatever from the rut and make decisions about their relationship. 

“Then you should just come and join me on the bridge,” Shiro said. 

Keith nodded. That sounded much nicer than heading back to his mother’s rooms. And if Krolia did hunt him down there, she was less likely to say anything and could just watch and see that he and Shiro were fine and back to normal. 

Shiro gave Keith’s cock one last look before running his hands along Keith’s thighs and then using his knees to help himself stand. “You didn’t form a knot this time.” 

Keith blinked, surprised by the comment and then looked down at himself before tucking his cock back away in his clothes and doing everything back up. “Apparently it’s more of an in rut sort of thing. Though it can happen from time to time outside of it. Depends on things,” Keith said with a bit of a shrug. 

“Hmmm... “ Shiro hummed as he gave Keith an assessing look. 

“What? Keith asked as he stood. 

“I like a challenge.” 

Keith’s mouth dropped open at Shiro’s comment and he watched in shock as Shiro just sent him a wink and then stepped out of the cockpit. 

“Holy shit,” Keith whispered to himself as the door closed behind Shiro. The man really was seriously trying to kill him. “Come on, Kosmo.” He reached down to pet his sleeping wolf’s ears and got a slow blink in response before Kosmo just closed his eyes again. “Lazy wolf,” Keith said fondly. He wasn’t worried. Kosmo could zap out of Black as easily as he could zap inside of the lion. Kosmo could find him later. Assuming he didn’t implode from shock and hormones from Shiro flirting with him. 

Dating Shiro was certainly going to be a different experience from before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, my Galran Puberty rut story has turned into find the clones while learning about Galran culture/sex… Whoops?
> 
> Also, I was re-reading the first chapter to double check some details and noticed that in the Krolia and Keith conversation I kept jumping to present tense. I’ve been self-editing this story so I expected some mistakes but was shocked at how dreadful those ones were. I don’t mind a small typo or mixed-up word here or there but that was just embarrassing. I’ve gone through and edited the first chapter. But if you notice any sections that have super major tense/grammar problems again please let me know. >.<


	5. The Burning Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Atlas and co encounters some pirates and learn about something that they can no longer ignore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of the series, Burning Desires, takes place between Chapters 4 and 5. It's a 5 chapter smutty 4+1times interlude written for bottom Shiro week and does not contain any necessary plot points for this fic. So feel free to skip it, read it later, or read it now and come back to Chapter 5 when you're done.

“Well, things still look like they’re in the normal range for you,” Doctor Lathruk said as she looked at the results on the display between them. 

Shiro nodded, relieved that everything was still normal and that after five months that Doctor Lathruk was comfortable with declaring a normal range for him. It was information he would probably have to share with the Garrison doctor sooner rather than later but he was in no rush for that kind of attention just yet. 

“Do you think we could take more time between appointments then?” Shiro asked. Right now he was coming about every three weeks which was about as often as he had enough free time to make his way to Doctor Lathruk without others asking questions. He’d prefer to spend this time with Keith or his friends though, especially since no matter how professional and not like the Empire Doctor Lathruk was he still couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy around her. 

“I think that’s reasonable. Perhaps every five to six weeks. We can reassess the time between appointments if things continue as normal or if irregularities start appearing.”

“Alright. I’ll make a note of it. But send me a message near the time,” Shiro said. These appointments weren’t something he could put in his actual calendar since as the commander of the Atlas numerous people had access to it. But he trusted Doctor Lathruk to keep her own schedule and notes private and message him as needed. 

“Of course. Also, there’s one last thing,” She started. 

“What is it?” Shiro felt a small ball of anxiety form. One last thing from a doctor was rarely good. 

“Because of Keith’s hybrid status and age we don’t know how often his ruts will occur but if either of you think it’s getting close, I’d like you to come in before and after.”

Shiro considered it and then nodded. There was a lot about Keith’s and his own biology that were unknown and he understood the importance of collecting information and stats to determining baselines for normality. And in Keith’s case, it would also help any future offspring from Galra and human couplings on what to expect as they grew older. Shiro was sure that with the Garrison working so closely with the Blades of Marmora that more half-Galra and half-human children were a high possibility. 

“We’ll do our best. Do you want me to tell Keith to see you, too?” 

Doctor Lathruk gave a small chuckle and Shiro wondered what he said this time that had amused her. While Galra and human culture had enough similarities they seemed to be able to get along well enough there were enough differences that Shiro did or said at least one strange thing each appointment that amused his Galran doctor. 

“If he’s close to his rut, where you go, he’ll follow. And yes, it would be good to see both of you before and after,” She said. 

Shiro decided to take her word for it and nodded. “I’ll let him know. Do you have any idea when we might expect his next rut?” 

As enjoyable as his first experience with Keith’s rut was, they were in the middle of a war and they couldn’t afford to be blindsided by it. They had gotten lucky the first time around that it had happened in a lull but there was no guarantee that Voltron or Atlas wouldn’t be needed in battle for the three or so days that they’d need to sate Keith’s instincts. 

Doctor Lathruk opened her mouth to reply when an announcement went out over the speakers and the warning lights started flashing. 

“All staff, please get to your battle stations and prepare yourselves. All non-military staff start the proper procedures to secure your work stations and bring yourself to the designated safety zones,” The voice blared out over the speakers. 

Shiro shot to his feet, already heading out of the doctor’s office as he pulled out his datapad. He’d apologize to the doctor later but right now he was needed as the commander of the Atlas and couldn’t waste time on goodbyes. Not that he thought Doctor Lathruk would hold it against him. She was a Blade and had to be used to abrupt endings to meetings. 

“What’s the situation?” Shiro asked as Coran appeared on the screen of his datapad. 

“Small situation. We got a distress call from some of the rebels escorting resources being shipped from one planet to another.” 

“The Empire?” Shiro asked. He paused long enough to step out of the way of several soldiers running past him to get to their stations. He started walking again once they passed, giving a nod to someone who paused long enough to salute him. 

“No. They said something about pirates. They can be just as nasty as the Empire and while I’d hate to say anything nice about the Empire, with it falling apart, the patrols on trade routes aren’t being maintained and piracy is going up.” 

Shiro sighed. Just one more thing that the coalition had to work on while they dismantled an evil regime and empire. Not only did they have to liberate planets, but they also had to worry about supply routes, currency stability, installing new and hopefully fair governments, and now pirates. “Understood. Bring us closer Coran. I want eyes on the situation and an update on numbers.” He closed his connection to Coran after getting an affirmative and activated one to all of the paladins. 

“Paladins, where are you?” 

“Heading to our lions, Shiro,” Keith replied. 

“Alright. But don’t leave Atlas yet. It looks like we’re dealing with pirates and I don’t want Voltron scaring them off before we can see what they want.” 

“Are you sure?” Keith asked and Shiro could hear some of the others grumbling about being grounded, too. 

“Yes. I know they’re pirates and attacking us, but we could possibly convince them to join the coalition at least loosely. I’d rather set them on the Galra and deal with them later,” Shiro said. 

He heard Lance laugh at that and hoped that meant the paladins would be willing to wait for his command before leaving Atlas. Voltron was in a weird grey zone where they both did and didn’t fall under his command. They would listen to him because they respected him as part of team Voltron but they weren’t technically part of the Garrison even if the Garrison liked to pretend they were. It was complicated and Shiro was sure it would be a bureaucratic nightmare once the war was over and they could settle into a more diplomatic unit. But those were worries for another time. 

“Okay. But let us know if you want us with you, lions or not,” Keith said. 

“I will. Stay safe Paladins, Keith.” He closed that connection as the others were saying the same back to him and stepped onto the bridge. It was already in full combat mode, all of his officers working together to get the information they needed and to disperse it to the crew. 

“Open a line to the MFE pilots,” Shiro said as he moved up to the central control. 

“Line is open, sir,” Veronica said and he gave her a nod of thanks. 

“MFE pilots, what’s your status?” 

“On the flight deck and starting necessary flight checks,” Griffin said. 

“Good. I want you out and acting as a vanguard before we make contact with the pilots. You’ll have better maneuverability to engage in battle if needed and you can defend the supply ships.”

“Understood sir. Give us three minutes and we’ll be where you need us.” 

“We’ll keep you updated on the situation.” Shiro looked over at Veronica who muted the line instead of closing it and Shiro called out to be updated. 

He listened to all of the updates his crew was giving him even as he focused on the screens in front of him, taking in even more information Atlas was supplying him. In just a few minutes they had reached the location of the distress call and soon more information from scans and visuals were being relayed to him. 

It seemed it was a small fleet of pirate ships. There were seven larger ships in formation with an even larger eighth one that Shiro was sure the pirate leader would be on. The specs on the ships that the scans provided would have been intimidating if he was in anything less than the Atlas. The pirates had clearly built their ships with fighting in mind as there were various weapons equipped all around them and a decent shield that would take even Atlas a few blasts to get through. 

“Can we hail the largest vessel?”

“Working on it, Captain.” 

“Open the comms to the MFE,” Shiro said.

“Atlas, the MFEs are in position. Waiting orders, sir,” Griffin’s voice came over the comms. 

“Get as close to the supply vessels as you can. I want those defended. Don’t engage unless the pirates leave you no choice or I say so, understood?” Shiro wanted to avoid this turning into a battle if he could help it. They had enough fighting to worry about that they didn’t need to add to it. 

“Understood.” 

“Captain, we’ve managed to secure a line with the largest ship.” 

“Send it to the main screen. Let’s see what these pirates want and if we can’t convince them crossing us would be more trouble than it’s worth.” 

He kept half an eye on the screens and displays around him as the pirate ships moved positions as the MFEs made their way closer to the supply ships. So far the pirate ships looked like they were taking up a defensive formation and not about to attack or flee just yet. It made Shiro feel a bit more optimistic. 

“Patch Voltron into our call but keep them muted.” He wanted the paladins to stay informed in case they suddenly needed them but he also didn’t want any of their outbursts distracting their negotiations or upsetting the pirates. He loved the paladins but diplomacy was hit or miss with them. 

He took an at-ease stance as he waited for the pirates to answer his call, forcing his face into a neutral but stern look and prepared himself for any sort of alien to be on the other end. Being in space these past few years had prepared him for almost anything but he didn’t want to give away any surprise or disgust if the pirate turned out to be an alien they hadn’t encountered or one he didn’t have good memories with. He at least supposed the chances of it being another of Slav’s race was low. 

When a broad unilu appeared on the screen, Shiro realized he should have expected that. Just because the others told him that the race had apparently retired from their black market and piracy days didn’t mean everyone would have. The unilu before them was broad and had four muscled arms that he showed off by only wearing a tight sleeveless shirt. His arms were covered with gold armbands and bracelets that were decorated with gems that Shiro wouldn’t even begin to guess at. The man had bright teal hair that was tied in a low pony and showed off his pointed ears that had numerous piercings in them.

The pirate was definitely good at what he did if the number of ships he had under his command and the amount of wealth he was wearing was anything to go by. The way his eyes glinted with derision and the smirk on his face also showed the pirate’s confidence despite clearly being outgunned by the MFE pilots and Atlas. And that wasn’t even considering Voltron which they still had tucked away as a secret weapon. 

“I am Takashi Shirogane, the Captain of the Atlas and a leader in the Voltron Coalition,” Shiro said. “Who is it I’m talking with?” He did not want to waste time with a lackey when it was only the pirate captain that mattered. 

The pirate scowled as Shiro started talking and then blinked as if in disbelief and leaned in closer as if trying to get a better look at the screen. “Shiro? Is that you?” 

Shiro tried not to show his surprise at hearing his nickname from the alien who apparently knew him. He cast a quick glance around the room and saw the others looking up at him. “I do go by that name, yes. Have we met?” There were still parts of his history he couldn’t remember fully be it from his time with the Galra or his time when he was in the Black lion. It was perfectly possible they did know each other as much as he didn’t want to admit that. 

“Oh come on. It hasn’t been that long. And I’m not the one with the fancy makeover. Though gotta say, I like the new look. One hair colour looks a lot better than the mix. Not sure about the cut. A bit too military for my liking. But I guess that’s your new thing huh?” The pirate’s stance relaxed and he acted as if he was talking with an old friend instead of someone who he was about to engage in battle. 

It was good for Shiro’s plan to recruit the pirates, however tentatively, to the coalition, but it was bad for his own psyche. “I’m glad you approve. And the military seems to suit me. But I still don’t remember you. Who are you?” He asked more directly this time. 

“What? Come on. It’s Onvox. We met nearly two decaphebes ago,” The pirate captain said and Shiro realized that it was during the time they had all missed and just a few months after the cloning facility would have been destroyed. “I helped you, you helped me. Maybe we could do that again. You’ve certainly moved up in the world since I last saw you. Love the new arm by the way. Very chic.” 

Shiro took a deep breath and pushed down all the anxiousness he was feeling. He could deal with his own issues later. Right now he was in charge of the Atlas, the coalition, and ensuring peace and safety throughout the universe. “Ah, I think I remember a bit now. I had a bit of an accident some time ago so my memories can be a bit foggy.” 

“And they still let you pilot that beauty? I know you’re a damn good lay but who did you sleep with to get this gig?” Onvox asked. 

Shiro knew he was blushing and couldn’t help it. Apparently, he, or well a version of himself, had slept with the unilu pirate and now everyone on the bridge and all of the paladins had heard that. “I don’t kiss and tell. Unlike you apparently,” Shiro said trying to play it off and meet the expectations that he was sure the unilu had of his personality.

“We just need to get some liquour in you. Then you’ll be telling me all of your secrets. You should come visit, I just acquired a brew I think you’ll like,” Onvox said as he blatantly eyed Shiro up. He was very thankful he was in his dress uniform and not his skin-tight flight suit. He normally didn’t mind an appreciative glance but the pirate wasn’t who he wanted attention from. 

“I’ll have to decline this time. I didn’t contact you to catch up, Onvox.” 

“Yeah yeah. Such a spoilsport. You’re even worse than last time. What do you want Shiro? I already got the idea you don’t want me taking these ships, eh?” 

Shiro really didn’t know what they had gotten up to the last time Onvox had crossed paths with him since a part of it clearly involved sex but he was relieved that even this less than savoury version of himself had some morals. Or at least more morals than an unilu pirate. 

“That’s right. I want to make all coalition ships off-limits. Wait,” he said, holding up a hand to stop Onvox from protesting. “The Galra Empire is falling and the coalition won’t stop until it’s been removed completely. They’re going to be desperate and trying to regroup and bring together their flagging resources…” He trailed off hoping that Onvox would take the hint and come to the conclusion on his own. 

“And you’re thinking we should help ourselves to those resources?” 

“If you’d like.” Shiro shrugged. He didn’t really want to encourage piracy but it was a war and as long as they were attacking their enemies and not them, Shiro was willing to turn a blind eye. 

“And if we run into trouble?” 

“I’ll give you my contact information. But you’re a skilled pirate captain. I’m sure you won’t attack anyone bigger than you can handle… at least not again.” Shiro couldn’t resist getting that dig in and apparently, it was the right thing to do as the unilu laughed. 

“I feel I should make you bargain more for this but your contact information and the promise of help if we’re in too deep is enough to get me to turn my eye to the Galra instead.”

Shiro nodded encouraging Onvox in his thinking. He was thankful that the Unilu didn’t want to bargain. He’d heard stories from the others and he wasn’t sure he could drive the type of bargain that would get them to a deal as good as or better than the one they had. Though it seemed like some version of himself had had dealings with Onvox and managed to strike a bargain that hopefully satisfied them both. 

“I’ll message you the contact details. I expect you out of this quadrant within the varga,” He said. 

“You got it, Cap. And I hope these details aren’t just for business.” 

“Goodbye, Onvox,” Shiro said before closing the line with a sweep of his hand across a screen in front of him. True to his word, and with great reluctance, he then moved over to another screen and sent the needed data to Onvox. He sighed when a moment later his datapad dinged showing a new message from the pirate. 

Ignoring it for now, he looked back up at the bridge and saw everyone still casting him looks between doing their jobs. “Monitor the pirates and make sure they’re preparing to leave. MFE pilots,” Shiro said making sure their link was unmuted, “we reached a deal with the pirates and they should be retreating shortly. Stay on guard until they’re gone.” 

Before he could do anything more, the door to the bridge slid open to the stomping of feet. Shiro only had time to turn around and brace for an attack before Keith was sliding to a stop in front of him. 

“Shiro!” He said. He stopped to catch his breath, eyes wide and wild. 

“Keith? What are you doing here?” But Shiro already knew. The paladins had heard everything. And Shiro knew it wasn’t the fact that some version of himself had slept with an unilu pirate that had made Keith abandon his lion and run through the Atlas to him. It was the fact that this was proof that there was another version of himself out there in the universe. 

“Shiro…” Keith said again, this time with more meaning. Keith glanced at the others looking their way and nodded his head to the door he just came through. 

Shiro nodded and then turned back to his crew. “Monitor the situation. Let me know if anything changes. Keith and I need to debrief.” 

“Is that what they’re calling it these days?” He heard Veronica whisper and the crew lightly chuckle. But Shiro trusted everyone to do their jobs even if they teased as he headed out with Keith to find somewhere private to talk. 

“Atlas, we need a private observation deck,” Shiro said. If he was going to talk about this, he didn’t want it in a sterile and formal setting of a meeting room. And he definitely didn’t want to have this talk in one of their rooms. Those were spaces were they were supposed to be able to retreat from problems and duty and he didn’t want to bring this conversation there. 

His datapad pinged and Shiro pulled it up and looked at the map that Atlas had sent him that showed a small observation room glowing on it. “This way,” He said. 

“Are we ever going to talk about how Atlas is sort of sentient?” Keith asked. 

“My options are that or clones?” Shiro raised an eyebrow at Keith. 

“Well?” 

“I might actually prefer the clones.” 

“Really?”

“At least we can explain the clones even if we don’t know exactly what Haggar had planned for them all,” Shiro said. He tapped the panel beside the door and it slid open revealing an empty and tranquil observation deck. Keith stepped in and ignored the furniture as he headed toward the windows. 

Shiro joined him after making sure the door was locked and then stood facing out toward the stars. They were facing away from the supply ships and pirates so Shiro couldn’t supervise what was happening but he trusted his crew to see everything got done and to message him if something started to go wrong. It was still difficult at times to trust his team and not be involved himself all of the time but he was learning. 

“Atlas is pretty amazing. Does she feel like the lions when she speaks to you?” Keith asked. 

Nobody had come right out to say it, at least not to him, but there had been enough hints and subtle questioning that Shiro knew enough people wondered about it. Even he wasn’t sure if it was just a strong AI or actual sentience like the Lions seemed to have. 

Right now, he wasn’t brave enough to question Atlas themself on it. They were in the middle of fighting an intergalactic war. He couldn’t risk offending Atlas and losing their best and biggest space-faring vessel. 

“No. But that might just be because the Lions are a lot older and can focus on only one pilot. Atlas has a lot to keep track of. We’re both still figuring it all out.” Shiro gave a casual shrug that he hoped to convince Keith that he wasn’t worried about it right now. “I thought you wanted to talk about the clones.” 

Shiro could feel the weight of Keith’s gaze as he turned from the stars to look at him. “You’re not afraid of her, are you?” Keith asked.

That hadn’t been the question Shiro had been bracing for and he couldn’t keep the surprise off his face as he looked at Keith. “What? No. If anything, she feels prepared and wants to help.” It was hard to explain all the various reasons he felt reluctant to bring up all of Atlas’ abilities but fear was certainly a very minor one and only there when his imagination from too many sci-fi shows got carried away. 

“Alright. But one day… we should talk about it.” 

“One day. But I’m pretty sure you have another issue to press today,” Shiro said. And he wondered when his life became filled with so many issues people had to tiptoe around. He was used to avoiding topics due to his physical condition back at the Garrison before the Kerberos mission but now it seemed like he was a walking landmine of topics to avoid. 

“You know I wouldn’t push if it wasn’t necessary, Shiro,” Keith said. 

And Shiro knew that. For months now, Keith and the Blades had likely been seeking out knowledge of the clones. But now that knowledge had come knocking on their door and it was impossible to ignore. 

“Unless of course you want to tell me how you escaped a two-year time rift and the Black Lion to go have sex with a pirate. Though I suppose if anyone could accomplish that, it would be you.” 

“I think you mean you. You’re the one who’s part of a spy group,” Shiro said. 

They glanced over at each other and the second their eyes met, they both laughed. 

“I had a lot going on in my mind when Onvox mentioned knowing me. But one thing stood out. I just hoped that the clone was okay. I don’t know if sleeping with Onvox was for fun or part of the trade but I hope wherever he is now, that he doesn’t regret it,” Shiro said eyes once more focused on the stars beyond Atlas. 

“That’s because you’re a good guy, Shiro. I know you might not feel ready to process all of this, but I know you’ll always do the right thing. That’s just who you are,” Keith said. 

Shiro appreciated Keith’s faith in him and held it close to his heart. It didn’t matter if he was ready to handle this, he couldn’t ignore there were countless versions of himself running around the universe. There was a good chance they could use their help or even worse, that instead of being in danger, they were the danger. 

With his talks with the doctor about his biology and her hypothesis on them testing out different DNA into him and the strange Galra biology being impossible to predict, it also meant that the clones personalities could easily range from much more aggressive to much more timid. And he didn’t even want to think about how clones who hadn’t been fully implanted with memories were doing. Did they know how to function as an adult? Could they find shelter? Did they even understand why they were in space? Were the ones with the memories coping with the gladiator flashbacks and trauma from that time? Were they trying to get back to Voltron and Keith and frustrated at their inability to do so? 

Shiro realized he’d been far too selfish these past few months. Ignoring the problem wouldn’t make it go away and now they were even further out from when the clones were set free into the universe and there was a higher chance that some of them may have died, been hurt, or possibly inflicted harm. 

He didn’t want to think any version of himself capable of hurting others but he was called the Champion for a reason and he knew there was a darkness in him that he could access if he needed to. But his morals and his friends kept him grounded. Did the clones have that? 

“We need to find them,” Shiro said. They couldn’t stop fighting the Empire to seek his clones out but he would make time and free up resources to make the clone mission secondary priority. 

“We will. The Blade have already been looking, keeping ears and eyes open while on missions and doing some recon. Mostly just rumours. There are a couple of potential leads but this is the first real confirmation we’ve had.” 

“I know I wasn’t really open to the idea when you and Kolivan first talked about finding the clones, but I’m glad you started looking for them. I think we need to have a briefing and bring Atlas into this and see what our combined resources can do.” 

“I’ll let Kolivan know. And Shiro, we’ll find them. Maybe not all of them, you’re a hard man to find and we don’t even know how many there are, but I’ll make sure we find all those who need us.” 

“Thank you,” Shiro said, looking at Keith’s reflection on the window. 

“They’re you, Shiro. Well, a past you with a different history for the past few years. But still you at their core. I don’t want to see any version of you suffer if I can help,” Keith said. 

Shiro gave a nod and put his hand on Keith’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. He could trust Keith to save him and to do so it many times as it took. And with an unknown number of clones out in the universe, Keith might have to save him, or a version of him, a lot. 

“Do you want to head back?” Keith asked. 

“In a few minutes.” Shiro had made his decision but he still needed a little time to let it settle. 

“Do you want to be alone?” 

“Stay,” Shiro said. And then let his hand slide off Keith’s shoulder and around his back and Keith stepped closer to him, a hand coming around his own waist. 

They leaned into each other as they looked out at the stars, thoughts filled with the wide universe beyond and the missions they had before them. 

 

-End -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of part one. What started as a PWP idea in an omegaverse setting swiftly spiralled out of control and somehow it’s spiralled out of control and into a series. I can’t say I’m angry about that even if I’m still a bit baffled on how it happened. I hope everyone has enjoyed it so far and are willing to follow me along on the next adventure Keith and Shiro get up to in this universe. 
> 
> I’m not sure when the next part will be written as I have a Big Bang and the Make a Believer fic to write for but I do have ideas for part 2 that I’m eager to see played out. Sadly, I don’t think we’ll be meeting Pirate Shiro in the next part, though we will be meeting a clone. 
> 
> Also, it’s about time for Galran biology and hormones to act up, right?

**Author's Note:**

> I recently started a fandom twitter. You can find me @sagelysea. Feel free to follow, say hi, or chat with me there.


End file.
